Pesto Asparagus Or Green Bean Sauce Recipes

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).

THREE VEGETABLE PENNE WITH TARRAGON-BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• Heat a large pot of water to boil for pasta. Salt the water and add pasta to cook to al dente or, with a bite to it. Cut asparagus spears into 2-inch pieces on an angle. Cut zucchini into matchstick shapes. Cut haricots verts or green beans into 2-inch pieces on an angle. Add vegetables to pasta after penne has been cooking about 5 minutes. Cook veggies and pasta together 2 minutes. While pasta cooks, toast pine nuts in a small pan until golden, then cool. Place nuts, basil, tarragon, parsley, lemon zest, garlic, cheese and a little salt and pepper in a food processor. Turn the processor on and stream in the extra-virgin olive oil until thick sauce forms. Scrape pesto into large, shallow serving dish. Add a ladle of hot, starchy pasta water to the pesto. Drain penne and veggies and add immediately to pesto. Toss to coat pasta and vegetables evenly. Adjust salt and pepper, to taste. Serve with extra grated cheese to pass at table.;

PESTO ASPARAGUS OR GREEN BEAN SAUCE

Steps:

• Trim and cut at an angle into 1-inch pieces about 3/4 pound asparagus (you should have about 4 cups). Or trim an equal amount of tender green beans and cut into 1-inch pieces. When the pot of gnocchi water comes to a boil, toss in the asparagus or beans, cook 3 minutes, then add the gnocchi and cook 3 minutes more. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a skillet, scoop up the gnocchi and asparagus or beans, and drop them into the pan, then add 1 cup Basil Paste (see below) and enough of the boiling water to make a sauce. To serve, top with 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano or Grana Padano.

PESTO AND PROSCIUTTO ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a small rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay the prosciutto slices in a single layer on the parchment, without touching. Bake until crispy and fragrant, flipping halfway through, 18 minutes. Cool completely on the tray, then remove to a plate.
• Preheat a grill pan to medium heat. Remove the parchment from the prosciutto tray and place the asparagus on the tray. Drizzle with the pesto, season with the salt, and toss well to coat. Place the asparagus on the hot grill pan and cook, turning once, until the asparagus has nice golden grill marks and is tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 6 minutes. Transfer the asparagus to a platter, crumble the prosciutto over the top, and break the Parmesan shavings over the prosciutto. Serve warm.

PASTA PRIMAVERA WITH ASPARAGUS AND PEAS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over medium-high heat.
• While the water is coming to a boil, slice snap peas and asparagus stems into 1/4-inch-thick pieces; leave asparagus tips whole.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add snap peas, asparagus, English peas and onion. Cook until vegetables are barely tender (but not too soft or mushy), 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
• Drop pasta into boiling water and cook until al dente (1 to 3 minutes for fresh pasta, more for dried pasta). Drain well and transfer pasta to a large bowl. Immediately toss pasta with vegetables, Parmigiano-Reggiano, crème fraîche and herbs. Season generously with salt and pepper, if needed.

SNAP PEAS AND GREEN BEANS WITH ARUGULA-MINT PESTO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast almonds on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until fragrant and slightly darkened in color, 8-10 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop half of almonds and set aside. Pulse remaining almonds with garlic, arugula, half of Parmesan, and 1 cup mint in a food processor to a smooth paste. With motor running, stream in oil; thin with 2 tablespoons cold water to reach a pourable consistency. Season pesto with salt and pepper.
• Cook peas and beans in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain; transfer to a bowl of ice water and chill until cold. Drain peas and beans; pat dry with paper towels. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with lemon juice and 3 tablespoons pesto; season with salt and pepper.
• Arrange peas and beans in a large bowl or platter over remaining pesto. Top with more mint leaves, reserved almonds, and remaining Parmesan; season with salt and pepper. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over.
• Do Ahead
• Peas and beans can be blanched 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

THREE-GREEN PASTA WITH SCALLOPS AND PESTO SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add asparagus and green beans and cook until just crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer vegetables to bowl, using strainer. Add fettuccine to water and boil until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring pasta occasionally.
• Meanwhile, melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add asparagus, green beans and peas. Season with salt and pepper; stir until heated through and coated with butter, about 1 minute. Return vegetables to bowl. Melt remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in same skillet. Add quartered sea scallops, season with salt and pepper and sauté until just cooked through, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
• Drain pasta and return to skillet. Add vegetables, scallops, pesto, cream and lemon juice and stir over low heat until pasta is coated with sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

GREEN BEAN PESTO

Steps:

• Blanch the green beans in boiling salted water for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove them to an ice bath and then drain them in a colander.
• Transfer the beans to the bowl of a food processor and add the garlic, salt, and pepper. Puree for 30 seconds and add half the oil while the motor is running. Add the pumpkin seeds and the remaining oil and process for 10 to 15 seconds, until smooth.
• Make Ahead
• The pesto can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

FETTUCCINE WITH ASPARAGUS, BEET GREEN PESTO, AND POACHED EGG

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium and toast walnuts, shaking pan often, until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate or bowl and let cool; reserve skillet.
• Pulse cooled walnuts, beet greens, garlic, parsley, lemon zest, 2 tsp. lemon juice, 3/4 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper in a food processor until finely chopped. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in 3/4 cup oil until a thick sauce forms. Add 2/3 cup Parmesan and pulse until well combined. You should have about 1 1/2 cups pesto.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a very low simmer. The water should register 180°F on an instant-read thermometer. Set a large bowl of ice water near your work station. Crack eggs into 4 ramekins or small bowls. Transfer 1 egg to a fine-mesh strainer set over a medium bowl to drain slightly (this will help remove extra egg whites and give the poached eggs a more compact shape). Carefully lower egg in strainer into hot water until egg is completely submerged. Gently shake strainer and carefully shape egg with a slotted spoon until edges of egg white start to turn opaque, 30-60 seconds. Carefully release egg from strainer into water with slotted spoon. Cook egg, turning and shaping occasionally with slotted spoon, until egg white is opaque and firm and yolk is plump and jiggles slightly to the touch, 3-3 1/2 minutes more. Transfer egg using a slotted spoon to the ice bath. As the first egg cooks, repeat steps to poach remaining 3 eggs, but keep an eye on which egg went in first. Use a timer to avoid overcooking.
• Bring the pot of water to a boil and cook fettuccine, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Using tongs or a spider, transfer pasta to a colander to drain. Reserve pasta cooking liquid in pot and set aside 1 cup liquid for the pasta sauce.
• Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in reserved skillet over medium-high. Add asparagus and sauté until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup pesto and 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid; gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Add fettuccine and simmer, tossing occasionally, until well combined. If sauce is too loose, continue to simmer; if it's too thick, add more pasta cooking liquid to loosen and stir vigorously to combine. Season with 1/2 tsp. salt, remaining 1 tsp. lemon juice, and remaining 1/4 tsp. pepper.
• Meanwhile, return the pot of water to a very low simmer. Transfer eggs from ice bath to pot to reheat until warm, 30-60 seconds. Remove eggs using a slotted spoon and place on a plate rubbed with a little olive oil. Divide pasta among 4 plates and top with poached eggs and Parmesan.
• Do Ahead
• Pesto can be made and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.