Penne w/ Asparagus Pesto

I got a food processor for my birthday and haven't used it a lot so I decided to pick a recipe from one of my cookbooks that I'd be able to use my processor to make. I think this turned out quite well. After calculating the nutrition and seeing how much the recipe actually makes, I recommend having this with chicken (or fake chicken, if you are me) and spreading it out into at least 6 servings instead of 4. Also, it's really garlicky, so if you don't like garlic, you probably would benefit from using only 1 clove. Enjoy!


(*note: takes about 30 minutes to prepare; taken from "The Big Book of Vegetarian").

1 lb penne or other tubular pasta
1 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed, stalks cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces, tips reserved
1/4 c. pine nuts, toasted (toast 2-3 minutes in small pan, medium heat, stirring often)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 c. chopped fresh basil
1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 t. salt, plus more to taste
1/3 c. grated parmesan cheese
fresh ground pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, stirring to prevent sticking. Cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Reserve 1/3 c. of the pasta cooking water and drain the pasta in a colander. Return to the pot.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan fitted with a steamer basket, bring 1 inch of water to a boil. Place the asparagus stalks in the basket and steam, covered, for 4 minutes. Add the reserved asparagus tips, cover, and steam until just tender, about 1 minute. Transfer the asparagus to ice water to stop the cooking. Drain the asparagus well in a colander and pat dry.

In a food processor, combine the pine nuts, garlic, and basil and process until finely chopped. Add the asparagus, olive oil, and 2 1/2 t. salt and pulse until the asparagus is coarsely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the parmesan and reserved cooking water. Add the pasta, tossing to coat, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.