I have made a delicious discovery for asparagus fans: Asparagus pesto.
This is a gorgeous, fresh-tasting pesto that has an unbelievable saucy texture and super green colour. Great tossed with pasta, on grilled chicken, in a Panini, on bruschetta … basically on anything that likes pesto.
Recipe:
1 pound asparagus snapped into pieces
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
Boil asparagus until just done in salted water. Drain and let cool. Into your Thermomix or food processor, add the asparagus, garlic, pine nuts, 2 tbsp oil, Parmesan cheese, a shake of salt and a ground of pepper. Whizz for a couple of seconds — pause — scrape down sides — add lemon — whizz again. Season with more salt and pepper or lemon to taste and scrape into bowl. Stir in chopped basil. Will last a couple of days in the fridge — but its brilliant green colour will change, so best to use right away tossed with a big bowl of hot rotini pasta or the pasta of your choice. Mangia.