Asparagus Pesto "Pasta"

5 from 1 vote

Here is a vegetarian dish that anyone who loves pasta and pesto would love. There are only a few ingredients which means light on the pocket book and prep work. This is what spring/summer cuisine is all about.

I bought some jumbo asparagus from the farmers market that were absolutely amazing raw and this recipe could easily be raw if you so desire. There is no real trick to this recipe other than having a great peeler, delicious pesto and asparagus.

It only takes about 20 minutes start to finish if you already have your pesto made. Here is the recipe I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients

4 people

2 bunches Jumbo Asparagus
1/4 cup Pesto
1/3 cup Cream
2 oz Parmesan Cheese
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper To Taste

Nutritional information

Calories: 225kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 11gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 382mgPotassium: 482mgFiber: 5gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 2203IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 250mgIron: 5mg

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 5

Servings 4 people

How to make Asparagus Pesto "Pasta"

Simply cut the ends of the asparagus off that are tough and woody, the jumbo ones I bought only needed a little trimmed off the bottoms because the majority of the stock was crunchy and delicious.
Then take your peeler or mandolin and shave thin strips of asparagus. When the stalks break or dwindles down to just the tips just use a knife and slice the tips to the same size as the rest of the asparagus.

To Finish

Place a pot of salted water on the stove and bring to a boil. In another large saute pan add cream and pesto and start to warm up. Then place all the shaved asparagus in the boiling water for 3-5 seconds then with a spider or strainer strain out the asparagus and place immediately into the cream and pesto.
Add the butter and let the sauce thicken slightly so that it coasts the asparagus. Season with salt and pepper and maybe add a little more pesto if needed. Using a large grill fork try to twirl the “pasta” (asparagus) around the fork and place on 4 different plates.
Take the extra sauce left in the pan and spoon over the asparagus. Finish with fresh parmesan and olive oil. Serve and enjoy!