Asparagus Pesto with Pasta

A while ago I got together with Heidi Swanson of 101 Cookbooks to try out one of the recipes from her cookbook, Super Natural Cooking.

The recipe we selected is perfect for spring, a pesto made with blanched asparagus, baby spinach, pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic and olive oil, tossed with a mix of egg and green spinach noodles.

Heidi calls this recipe “Straw and Hay Fettuccine Tangle, with Spring Asparagus Purée” in her book, a nod to the mixing up of different colors of noodles.

The asparagus pesto would work with any pasta or even as a sauce for pizza or potatoes.

Asparagus Pesto with Pasta Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 bunch asparagus spears (about 1 lb), trimmed of tough ends and halved crosswise
• 3 handfuls baby spinach leaves
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
• 1 cup pine nuts
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for topping
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

• 8 ounces of dried pasta or 12 ounces fresh -linguini, fettuccine, spaghetti
  Mix spinach pasta with regular wheat pasta for a medley of colors.

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