I read somewhere (and can’t remember where…) that blending cooked asparagus into pesto is a thing. Like, something yummy that sneaks veggies into a dish that people love.
I’m game. Gotta try that one.
So I whipped up a very basic pesto recipe while I roasted some asparagus and sweet potatoes and boiled some water. I blended some of the asparagus into the pesto, and topped my pasta with asparagus-y pesto, more roasted asparagus, and roasted sweet potato rounds.
WINNER.
for the pasta:
serves 8
1 large bunch basil
1/4 C avocado (or vegetable) oil
1/2 C walnuts
1/4 C nutritional yeast
2 cloves garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1 box whole wheat angel hair pasta
1 bunch asparagus
2 t avocado (or vegetable) oil
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat asparagus in 2 t oil, plus salt and pepper to taste, and roast for about 25 minutes until starting to brown.
Meanwhile, bring water to a boil and cook your box of pasta.
Blend half of the roasted asparagus and the rest of the ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Toss the hot pasta plus two ladle-fuls of the water you boiled the pasta in all together.
I paired this with some of my sugar and spice roasted sweet potatoes. A bite of sweet soft roasted sweet potato with this pesto-y pasta was absolutely wonderful, I loved the combination.
Enjoy leftovers for days 🙂
Last night I mixed a tablespoon of Tofutti cream cheese into my pasta and let it melt and make for a creamy version of a pesto, which was fantastic. I added some crispy Tofurkey Italian sausage on top for a more protein-rich meal. Feel free to play with the leftovers however you want, because this sure makes plenty! Tomorrow I plan to add some sun dried tomatoes, olives, and artichoke hearts for a yummy Mediterranean dish. 🙂
Nutritional facts per serving (for 1/8 pesto + pasta): Calories: 190; Calories from Fat: 60; Total Fat: 6.7g; Saturated Fat: 0.5g; Sodium: 9mg; Total Carbohydrates: 26.1g; Dietary Fiber: 5.4g; Sugars: 1.8g; Protein: 8.6g
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