Asparagus Pesto Pasta
There are so many kinds of pesto, basil, sun-dried tomatoes, cilantro... how about some freshly home-made asparagus pesto, the refreshing and tasty flavor is a perfect sauce to toss with some pasta.
Yield
6 servingsPrep
10 minCook
28 minReady
45 minIngredients
| Amount | Measure | Ingredient | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | pound |
asparagus
tough ends removed and halved crosswise, about 1 pound |
|
| 3 | cups |
baby spinach
about 3 handful |
*
|
| 3 | cloves |
garlic
or to taste, peeled |
|
| 1 | cup |
Parmesan cheese
plus extra to serve |
|
| 1 | cup |
pine nuts
|
|
| 4 | tablespoons |
olive oil, extra-virgin
plus more to serve |
|
| ½ |
lemon
juice, freshly squeezed, or to taste |
*
|
|
|
salt
to taste |
*
|
||
| 8 | ounces |
pasta
dry |
|
Ingredients
| Amount | Measure | Ingredient | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | bunch |
asparagus
tough ends removed and halved crosswise, about 1 pound |
|
| 7.1E+2 | ml |
baby spinach
about 3 handful |
*
|
| 3 | cloves |
garlic
or to taste, peeled |
|
| 237 | ml |
Parmesan cheese
plus extra to serve |
|
| 237 | ml |
pine nuts
|
|
| 6E+1 | ml |
olive oil, extra-virgin
plus more to serve |
|
| 0.5 | each |
lemon
juice, freshly squeezed, or to taste |
*
|
| 1 | x |
salt
to taste |
*
|
| 231.2 | ml/g |
pasta
dry |
|
Directions
Bring 2 pots of water to a rolling boil, one large for the pasta and one medium sized for the asparagus.
Meanwhile arrange the pine nuts in a single layer in a large skillet.
Heat on medium heat, stirring a few times, until fragrant and lightly browned.
Remove the pine nuts from pan and set aside. You will use ¾ cup of the pine nuts for the pesto and ¼ cup whole nuts to stir in.
Salt the asparagus water and drop the asparagus into the pan.
Cook for only 3 minutes, until the spears are bright green and barely tender. Drain under the cold water to stop the cooking.
Cut the tips off, and set aside, diagonally cut several of the asparagus about an inch from the end for garnish.
Place the asparagus, spinach, garlic, parmesan cheese, and ¾ cup of the pine nuts to a food processor.
Purée and, with the motor running, drizzle in the 4 tablespoons of olive oil until a reasonably smooth paste forms.
If seems thick, add a bit of the pasta water. Mix in the lemon juice and salt to taste.
When the pastas are cooked, drain and toss right away with 1 cup of the asparagus pesto.
Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup toasted pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and drizzle a little olive oil. Serve and enjoy.
