Growing up, pesto was a go-to camping dish for my family. It’s a dish that’s generally tasty both warm and cold, so my mom would always make a large batch in advance, and store it in the cooler for post-hike dinners. And to this day, I still pack it on camping and hiking trips.
But I love to jazz it up, too.
Asparagus has always been a springtime favorite, but it’s only recently that I discovered its utility in raw form. Slightly grassy and crisp, here it adds a refreshing and light crunch to a classically full-bodied pasta dish.
I’ve also added roasted tomatoes, for a touch of acidity. Feel free to throw some fresh basil on top, too. Or a handful of toasted nuts. Yum.
Pesto with Shaved Asparagus and Roasted Tomatoes
- May 29, 2014
- Print this
Ingredients
- 1 lb. whole wheat spaghettini
- 2 1/2 cups grape tomatoes
- 5 large garlic cloves, chopped
- 1-2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 batch of vegan pesto, recipe to follow (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 6 medium asparagus, shaved with a peeler
- Coarse salt and pepper
Directions
- Step 1
- Preheat oven 400F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place tomatoes and garlic on top, and toss with olive oil, to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
- Step 2
- Cook 12-15 minutes, or until tomatoes begin to burst. Switch oven to broiler. Continue to cook tomatoes until they start to caramelize, about 5 minutes, letting some of the extra water cook off.
- Step 3
- Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions, and make pesto.
- Step 4
- Toss shaved asparagus with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss pasta with pesto and 1/2 of the shaved asparagus and tomatoes. Check seasoning, adding more salt/pepper, if needed. Garnish the top with the remaining tomatoes and asparagus. Serve.
Vegan Pesto
- May 29, 2014
- Print this
Ingredients
- -2 medium cloves garlic
- -1 1/2 heaping, packed cups of basil
- -1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
- -1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- -1 tsp. salt
- -1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- -2 Tbsp. reserved pasta water, optional
Directions
- Step 1
- Pulse garlic in a food processor. Add in basil, nutritional yeast, nuts, and salt. Begin to puree ingredients, slowly drizzling olive oil into the mixture through the top of the food processor. Add the 2 tbsp. of reserved pasta water, if using, or 2 Tbsp. warm water if not thin enough. Puree until smooth.
- Step 2
- Use, or freeze immediately for up to 6 months.
