Pistachio Asparagus Pesto Pasta Recipes

CAMPANELLE WITH PISTACHIO-MINT PESTO, ASPARAGUS, AND CHERRY TOMATOES

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse 1/2 cup mint, pistachios, cheese, garlic, and zest with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until finely chopped. Add oil; pulse until a loose paste forms.
• Cook pasta in a large pot of generously salted boiling water 5 minutes. Add asparagus; cook until crisp-tender and pasta is al dente, about 3 minutes more. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water. Let cool 10 minutes.
• In a serving bowl, combine pasta and asparagus with pesto and tomatoes. Toss with 1/4 cup pasta water, adding more, a few tablespoons at a time, until sauce evenly coats pasta. Serve, topped with remaining mint, chopped pistachios, cheese, and a drizzle of oil.

PISTACHIO PESTO PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions.
• While the pasta is cooking, make the pistachio pesto. Combine the pistachios, basil, olive oil, Parmesan, garlic, lemon zest and juice and some salt and pepper in a food processor and process until well combined.
• Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta. Toss the pasta with the pistachio sauce, thinning with the pasta water for the desired consistency if necessary. Serve with more Parmesan and basil leaves.

ASPARAGUS PESTO PASTA

Steps:

• Cook 1 pound trimmed asparagus in salted boiling water until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to ice water to cool; drain and pat dry, then roughly chop. Puree the asparagus in a food processor with 1 cup fresh parsley, 1/2 cup fresh mint, 1/3 cup toasted unsalted pistachios, 1 garlic clove, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and a few grinds of pepper. Drizzle in 1/3 cup olive oil and puree until smooth. Toss with 1 pound cooked pasta and 3/4 cup parmesan, adding pasta cooking water as needed to loosen.

ASPARAGUS PESTO

Steps:

• Cut the cooked asparagus spears into thirds. Put in a food processor with the basil, pine nuts, garlic, and salt and pepper, to taste. Keep in mind you will add Parmesan as well, so be careful not to oversalt. With the machine running, slowly add the cup of olive oil. When the sauce is about the consistency of mayonnaise, it has enough oil. Pulse in the Parmesan. Thin with water, if necessary, to achieve a slick, saucy pesto. Scrape into a bowl or jar, cover, and refrigerate until needed. You should have about 3 cups. (Keeps about 2 to 3 days, refrigerated.)
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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).

PENNE WITH PISTACHIOS, ASPARAGUS, AND CREAM

Steps:

• Cook the asparagus in a stockpot in boiling salted water, uncovered, over medium-high heat until tender, about 3 minutes. Remove the asparagus, saving the water so the pasta can be prepared in the same pot.
• Sauté garlic in butter in a sauté pan over medium heat.
• Meanwhile start cooking the pasta, according to package directions.
• Add the asparagus and pepper.
• Increase heat to high and pour in the wine, stirring for about 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium.
• Pour the half and half and the cream over asparagus mixture and simmer for 2 minutes.
• Season with salt.
• When pasta is done, drain and return to pot.
• Combine asparagus sauce with pasta, stirring over medium heat.
• Add cheese, stirring until it melts; transfer to platter.
• Garnish with pistachio nuts and serve immediately.

LINGUINE WITH ASPARAGUS PESTO

Steps:

• Snap off and discard ends of asparagus. Cut off top two inches of spears and reserve. Chop rest of spears and put in food processor with garlic, processing until very finely minced. With the machine running, drizzle in olive oil. Add 1/2 cup cheese and pulse. Transfer mixture to a bowl, fold in lemon zest, season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add pasta and cook about 6 minutes, until not quite al dente. Add asparagus spears to the pot and cook another 1 to 2 minutes, until pasta is al dente.
• Spoon 1/4 cup pasta water into a large skillet. Drain pasta and asparagus tips and add to skillet along with asparagus mixture and lemon juice. Cook over low heat, stirring with tongs, 3 minutes or so, until ingredients are well blended. Check seasonings. Transfer to 4 warm plates, scatter with oregano and serve with extra cheese.