Asparagus Basil Pesto Recipe: This nut-free version is a simple and delicious twist on a classic, and hits all the right notes for a quick meal. As the days become longer, I have begun to see one of my favorite Spring veggies on store shelves arriving from California and Mexico. Soon, local asparagus will be appearing at the Vancouver Farmer’s market.
The key to this Asparagus pesto recipe is achieving rich and creamy, yet still having texture. This one is made with sunflower seeds, making it nut-free for those with allergies like me.
I hope you enjoy the written recipe and a 3-minute video below.
If you have any food questions, are looking for shopping suggestions, or want to catch up, please do reach out. Thanks again for your lovely messages and notes.
Until next time, may you always #EatwiththoseyouLove ®
Peter
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Ultimate Asparagus Basil Pesto Recipe & Video
As with any recipe always use safe cooking procedures, & food safe practices. Health Canada is a great site for all food safe guidelines. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/topics/food-safety.html
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of Asparagus
- 6 Cloves of Garlic
- 1 Cup of Fresh Italian Basil (You can add even more if you’re a Basil lover)
- ¼ cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil – have extra handy if needed
- ½ cup of Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1 tsp of Salt
- 1 tsp of Fresh Cracked Pepper
- ½ cup of Roasted Unsalted Sunflower Seeds
- 1 Organic Lemon Zest and Juice
- Extra Salt, Pepper, and Cheese to Taste
- 1 pound of Fresh or Dry, Short or Long Pasta. This recipe works well with both. I’m using a lovely bronze extruded dry spaghetti.
- Bowl of Ice Water, or the coldest water you have.
Equipment:
- Large Pasta Pot
- Food Processor (preferred) or Blender
- Wooden Spoon
- Chef’s Knife
- Cutting Board
- Serving Bowl
- Ladle
- Large Bowl
- Large Chef’s Spoon
- Microplane/Grater
Instructions:
- Fill your pasta pot with water. 4-5 L minimum. Set to boil.
- Wash your Asparagus. Snap off the woody bottoms of the asparagus. Add them to your pasta pot. They will act as a seasoning, flavouring the water.
- Cut the asparagus stalks in two, separating them into tips and stems. You can also cook the whole stem and split them afterward as I did in the video.
- Grate your cheese.
- When your pasta water has boiled, remove the woody stems and discard.
- Add 1 heaping TBSP of sea salt to the water. Your boiling water should taste like the sea.
- Stir in the salt and add your asparagus stem segments.
- Set a timer for 3 minutes. At 3 minutes, add your garlic cloves to the boiling water. If you prefer a very garlicky pesto, do not blanch the garlic.
- Cook the stems and garlic until the stems are tender. Remove them and add them to your bowl of ice water.
- Dip your basil leaves into the boiling water for 5 to 10 seconds. Remove them and add them to your ice water.
- Add your blanched asparagus stems, garlic, cheese, sunflower seeds, and ½ your initial olive oil to your food processor. Save the ice water.
- Add your asparagus tips to the boiling water and cook until just cooked. Remove them and immediately add them to your ice water to stop the cooking process and preserve the colour.
- Add your dry pasta to the boiling water. Set a timer for 2 min before the suggested cooking time on the package. If cooking fresh pasta instead, do not cook until your pesto is ready.
- Pulse the food processor until the ingredients start to blend into a rough sauce. We are going for the consistency of chunky peanut butter. This is quite ironic since I’m allergic to nuts and have never eaten chunky peanut butter, but from the looks of it, that is almost the perfect texture.
- Taste your sauce and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add your basil leaves to the processor and drizzle in the remaining olive oil, pulsing until you achieve your desired texture. Traditionally, pesto was made in a mortar and pestle, thus the name pesto, and had a creamy yet coarse texture.
- Once you’ve achieved the desired texture, line the bottom of your serving bowl with a thin layer of the pesto.
- When your timer goes off for your pasta, add a half lemon of zest and juice to your pesto and pulse two times.
- Once the pasta is cooked to al dente, strain it and add it to your pesto-lined bowl. Add enough pesto to coat the pasta but not drown it. Add extra salt, pepper, and cheese to taste.
Serving this Asparagus Basil Pesto Nonna Style
Plate the pasta from the bowl, twirl it for height, add your asparagus tips as garnish, and finish with a shower of cheese.
Now go and try the recipe, but most importantly, always remember to #EatwiththoseyouLove ®
Peter
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Ultimate Asparagus Basil Pesto Recipe Copyright 2024