I saw this first in Chow.com, and adapted it to be nondairy. Also used this whole grain pasta, which I love, and used canned artichokes, which is probably a travesty compared to the beautiful photos of the artichoke preparation on the Chow.com site. But I made this after work, was tired and hungry, and I thought it came out delicious anyway.
Pasta with pesto, asparagus, and artichokes
For the pesto:
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more as needed
1 medium clove garlic, minced
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup packed fresh Italian parsley leaves
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup grated soy parmesan
For the pasta:
8 asparagus spears, tough ends removed
3 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 12-ounce can artichoke hearts, packed in water, drained and halved
10 ounce dried pasta, long strands
soy parmesan, for serving
For the pesto:
Place the pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment and process until finely ground, about 20 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl using a rubber spatula. Add the salt and pepper, garlic, basil, and parsley; process until pureed, about 15 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
With the processor running, slowly add the oil in a thin stream until incorporated. Add the parmesan and pulse a few times to incorporate. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, as needed.
For the pasta:
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the asparagus and blanch til crisp-tender, about 30 seconds. Using tongs, remove the asparagus to an ice water bath to cool. Keep the pot of water at a boil for the pasta. Transfer the asparagus from the ice bath to a cutting board. Using a vegetable peeler, shave each spear lengthwise into thin strips, then cut the strips in half crosswise. Place in a bowl and set aside.
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 1/2 cups pasta water, then drain the pasta.
Return the pot to medium-high heat, and add the pesto, 3/4 cup of the reserved pasta water, and the asparagus strips. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Add the pasta, toss to combine, and bring to a simmer. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
I served this in an attractive plain white bowl, and garnished the top with the artichoke halves, sprinkled with soy parmesan.
this pasta dish screams spring in the best possible way! All of my favorite spring veggies are in it. I’m in love!
My family likes adding pine nuts to recipes because they add such nice taste to the foods. Really like your recipe: great variety of vegetables, pine nuts, herbs…easy to prepare without too much fuzz and sounds delicious. Will definitely consider preparing it. Nice post and photos.