Asparagus Pesto Recipes

SPRING PESTO PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add asparagus. Cook for 3 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl of ice water. Let cool, then drain.
• Bring the same pot of water back up to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 11 minutes, or until al dente. Then drain, reserving about 1/4 cup of cooking water.
• In a large bowl, combine pasta, asparagus, and basil pesto. Toss until pasta is evenly coated with pesto. If the sauce is too thick, begin pouring in some reserved pasta water (about 2 tablespoons at a time) until the sauce reaches desired consistency. Add chives, lemon zest, and mozzarella, and stir until just combined.
• Divide pasta into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese. If eating immediately, serve hot. You can also serve it cold or at room temperature as a delicious vegetarian pasta salad.

ASPARAGUS PESTO PASTA

Steps:

• Cook 1 pound trimmed asparagus in salted boiling water until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to ice water to cool; drain and pat dry, then roughly chop. Puree the asparagus in a food processor with 1 cup fresh parsley, 1/2 cup fresh mint, 1/3 cup toasted unsalted pistachios, 1 garlic clove, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and a few grinds of pepper. Drizzle in 1/3 cup olive oil and puree until smooth. Toss with 1 pound cooked pasta and 3/4 cup parmesan, adding pasta cooking water as needed to loosen.

ASPARAGUS PESTO WITH PASTA

Steps:

• Bring 2 pots of water to a rolling boil: one large for the pasta and one medium sized for the asparagus.

ASPARAGUS PESTO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Add the asparagus and cook until fully tender but not mushy, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well, reserving some of the cooking liquid, and let the asparagus cool slightly.
• Transfer the asparagus to a food processor and add the garlic, pine nuts, 2 tablespoons of the oil, Parmesan, a pinch of salt and a couple of tablespoons of the cooking liquid. Process the mixture, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container if necessary, and gradually add the remaining oil and a bit more of the reserved cooking liquid to moisten if necessary. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste, pulse one last time, and serve over pasta, fish or chicken (or cover and refrigerate for up to a day).

ASPARAGUS PESTO

Steps:

• Cut the cooked asparagus spears into thirds. Put in a food processor with the basil, pine nuts, garlic, and salt and pepper, to taste. Keep in mind you will add Parmesan as well, so be careful not to oversalt. With the machine running, slowly add the cup of olive oil. When the sauce is about the consistency of mayonnaise, it has enough oil. Pulse in the Parmesan. Thin with water, if necessary, to achieve a slick, saucy pesto. Scrape into a bowl or jar, cover, and refrigerate until needed. You should have about 3 cups. (Keeps about 2 to 3 days, refrigerated.)
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RISOTTO WITH ASPARAGUS AND PESTO

Steps:

• Put well-seasoned stock or broth into a saucepan and bring it to a simmer over low heat, with a ladle nearby or in the pot.
• Heat olive oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy nonstick skillet or a wide, heavy saucepan. Add onion and a generous pinch of salt, and cook gently until it is just tender, about 3 minutes. Do not brown.
• Stir in rice and garlic and stir until the grains separate and begin to crackle. Add wine and stir until it is no longer visible in the pan. Begin adding simmering stock, a couple of ladlefuls (about 1/2 cup) at a time. The stock should just cover rice and should be bubbling, not too slowly but not too quickly. Cook, stirring often, until it is just about absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of the stock and continue to cook in this fashion, adding more stock and stirring when rice is almost dry. You do not have to stir continually, but stir often. After 10 minutes, add asparagus and continue to stir and add stock for another 10 to 15 minutes, until rice is cooked through but still al dente.
• Add another ladleful of stock to the rice. Stir in pesto and additional cheese and remove from heat. Taste and adjust seasoning. Mix should be creamy (add more stock if it isn't). Serve right away in wide soup bowls or on plates, spreading risotto in a thin layer rather than a mound.

LINGUINE WITH ASPARAGUS PESTO

Steps:

• Snap off and discard ends of asparagus. Cut off top two inches of spears and reserve. Chop rest of spears and put in food processor with garlic, processing until very finely minced. With the machine running, drizzle in olive oil. Add 1/2 cup cheese and pulse. Transfer mixture to a bowl, fold in lemon zest, season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add pasta and cook about 6 minutes, until not quite al dente. Add asparagus spears to the pot and cook another 1 to 2 minutes, until pasta is al dente.
• Spoon 1/4 cup pasta water into a large skillet. Drain pasta and asparagus tips and add to skillet along with asparagus mixture and lemon juice. Cook over low heat, stirring with tongs, 3 minutes or so, until ingredients are well blended. Check seasonings. Transfer to 4 warm plates, scatter with oregano and serve with extra cheese.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH PESTO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Mix pesto with garlic and oil and toss with asparagus on a baking sheet.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Roast in a preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until done to your.
• liking.
• Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese and serve hot.