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Basil is one of the few herbs I actually have decent luck growing at home, but its season is short. So every summer, I harvest as much as I can and turn a good chunk of it into pesto, both the classic kind and a sun-dried tomato version, then freeze it in batches so I have it on hand all year.
This pasta with sundried tomato pesto is one of the dishes that pesto goes into most often. It’s quick, it’s basically three ingredients, and it all happens in a single pot. The first time I made it, my husband took one bite and said, “you must publish this, it’s brilliant.” So here we are.
If you don’t have homemade pesto stashed in your freezer, store-bought works perfectly fine too.
Ingredients
This is about as simple as pasta dinners get, just three things really make it work. You’ll find the complete recipe with measurements below.
- Penne pasta — whole wheat works if you don’t mind the texture, but regular pasta is just as good here, especially with the broccoli and pesto already adding fiber and nutrients to the plate.
- Sun-dried tomato pesto — homemade if you’ve got a batch in the freezer, or store-bought works just fine. Get my sun-dried tomato pesto recipe here. Sun-dried tomatoes are rich in antioxidants, particularly lycopene, which has been linked to heart health.
- Broccoli — cut into small florets. Broccoli is an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin K, and fiber, making it one of the most nutrient-dense vegetables you can add to a pasta dish.
- Fresh basil and grated Parmesan (optional) — for garnish, if you want a little extra freshness and flavor on top.
💡 Tip: Make sure the broccoli is at room temperature before adding it to the pot. Cold broccoli will lower the water temperature and you may need a couple of extra minutes of cooking time.
How to Make It
Full recipe with detailed instructions below. Here’s a quick visual walkthrough.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the penne, setting your timer for the package time minus 4 minutes.
- When the timer goes off, add the broccoli florets directly to the pot and cook for the remaining 4 minutes.
- Reserve a cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and broccoli.
- Spread the pesto at the bottom of the empty pot, add the pasta and broccoli on top with half a cup of the reserved water, and toss until everything is well coated. Add more water as needed.
- Serve with fresh basil and grated Parmesan if desired.
Cooking Timeline
- 🔪 Cut broccoli into small florets — 5 minutes
- 💧 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil — 10 minutes
- 🍝 Cook the penne (package time minus 4 minutes) — 7–10 minutes depending on brand
- 🥦 Add broccoli to the pot and cook together — 4 minutes
- 🫙 Drain, toss with pesto and pasta water — 2 minutes
- ⏱ Total time: about 25–30 minutes
Serving Suggestions
This pasta is a complete meal on its own, but a few simple additions can round it out nicely.
Top with freshly grated Parmesan and a few leaves of fresh basil for a little extra color and flavor. A drizzle of good olive oil right before serving is never a bad idea either.
If you want to add a protein, grilled chicken or white beans stirred in at the tossing stage work really well with the sun-dried tomato pesto. For a fully plant-based meal, the beans are a great fit with the Mediterranean Diet.
A simple green salad with a good vinaigrette is all you really need on the side. A glass of light red wine wouldn’t hurt.
Your Questions, Answered
Regular pasta is absolutely part of the Mediterranean Diet. The diet is not restrictive, and while whole wheat pasta does provide more fiber and nutrients, taste, texture, and affordability make classic pasta a practical everyday choice. With the broccoli and sun-dried tomato pesto contributing plenty of nutrients, this dish is well-balanced either way.
A standard pasta serving is 2 oz (about 56g) of dry pasta per person, which is much smaller than what most restaurants serve. This recipe uses 8 oz total, making it four servings. With the broccoli and pesto adding bulk and nutrients to the dish, it’s a satisfying portion.
Absolutely. Homemade sun-dried tomato pesto gives you the best flavor, especially if you’ve made a batch from your summer basil and frozen it, but a good quality store-bought pesto works fine when you need a shortcut.
The starchy cooking water helps loosen the pesto into a light sauce that coats the pasta evenly. It’s a small step that makes a real difference in texture. Start with half a cup and add more if needed.
Yes, any short pasta works well here. Rigatoni or fusilli are great options since the ridges help the pesto cling to every piece.
Advance Prep & Storage
Make ahead: The sun-dried tomato pesto can be made well in advance and kept in the fridge for up to a week, or frozen for several months. Having a batch ready in the freezer makes this an even faster dinner.
Storage: Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The pasta will absorb some of the pesto as it sits, so it may look a little drier the next day.
Reheating: Warm in a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of water to loosen things up, stirring until heated through. You can also microwave it, again with a little water added, to keep it from drying out.
Other Recipes to Try
One-Pot Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto and Broccoli
Ingredients
- 8 oz penne pasta or other short ridged pasta such as rigatoni or fusilli
- 3/4 cup sun-dried tomato pesto half a batch of my sundried tomato pesto recipe, or 165 g of store-bought
- 1 head broccoli cut into small florets
- Fresh basil and grated Parmesan for garnish optional
Instructions
- Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot with a tablespoon of salt. Add the penne and set a timer for the package cooking time minus 4 minutes.
- When the timer goes off, add the broccoli florets to the pot. Make sure the broccoli is at room temperature before adding, otherwise it will lower the water temperature and you may need to add a couple of extra minutes.
- Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and broccoli.
- Spread the pesto at the bottom of the empty pot. Add the drained pasta and broccoli on top along with 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water. Toss well until the pesto coats everything evenly. Add more pasta water as needed.
- Serve with fresh basil and grated Parmesan if desired.
Notes
- Whole wheat pasta works well here if you prefer it, though regular pasta is just as good.
- Store-bought pesto is a perfectly fine substitute for homemade.
- Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.
- This recipe makes 4 servings based on a standard 2 oz dry pasta portion per person.
- It scales easily for 2 (halve everything) or a crowd (double everything and use your largest pot).
One pot, three ingredients, 30 minutes, and the flavor is so much bigger than the effort. A permanent weeknight staple at my house!
This is a fun and tasty meal. I never would have thought of cooking everything in just one pot like this, but the results were just as presented! I think this is also an excellent meal for when you are craving pasta and the weather is so hot that you are trying to minimize kitchen heat from cooking!