asparagus pesto
English asparagus is back in season and it’s a regular feature in our meals at the moment. inevitably there are times when I've bought a few bunches and the final one is looking a little sorry for itself when it finally gets hauled out of the fridge. asparagus pesto is perfect for when this happens.
This dish is part of vegetables, beautiful vegetables, my tribute to national vegetarian week which is currently underway in the UK.
asparagus pesto
1 bunch of asparagus
1 tablespoon pine nuts
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
1 handful basil
zest of a lemon
extra virgin olive oil
steam/boil the asparagus until it is only just cooked. rinse with cold water and cut into smaller pieces.
fry the pine nuts in a dry pan until they take on a toasted appearance.
in a mini food processor, blitz together the pine nuts, garlic, parmesan and basil. add the asparagus and lemon zest and blitz to create a smooth texture. add olive oil to taste.
use the pesto to dress pasta (as above) or as a topping for crostini.
more asparagus recipes:
- fettucine with asparagus and parma ham (june 2007)
- roasted tomato, asparagus and goats curd salad (june 2007)
- prawn and asparagus hot and sour soup (april 2007)