Pasta met aspergepesto (< 20 minuten)

This pesto pasta is a super-easy recipe for when you don’t have much time to cook and want to whip up a delicious meal in a flash. The creamy asparagus pesto adds a touch of luxury to the dish, making it ideal for treating your loved ones to a homemade dinner that has that little something extra.

I’m currently in Portugal for an internship at a Michelin-starred vegetarian restaurant. I made a very conscious choice to pursue these last two goals. Vegetarian cooking requires a different approach to creativity and a deep understanding of your ingredients. Having only vegetables at your disposal to create the variety of flavors needed to make a dish interesting forces you to make the most of their full potential. In traditional Belgian and French cuisine, vegetables are mainly used to balance out a heavy (meat) dish by adding freshness and color. I wanted to learn how to give those vegetables an umami, smoky, or salty flavor—so that you no longer need meat to add depth to a dish. I wanted to learn what amazing dishes can be made using the parts of vegetables that are normally thrown away. 

I was also curious about how a vegetable can be used in different types of dishes. For example, I’ve often seen parsnip ice cream on a menu, but surely that can’t be the only dessert option for vegetables? Apparently, burdock root tastes like a combination of pear and melon. And chouchou is a cucumber-like vegetable that contains so much starch that you can prepare it like a potato. Crazy, right?

I created this recipe before I left for Portugal, but I waited until asparagus was in season again to share it. So if you don’t know what to cook tonight, you can head straight to the store with enthusiasm and get started with the best, most flavorful ingredients available right now. The dish is also vegetarian, by the way—the asparagus was impressive enough on its own. 

The Recipe

Ingredients: (serves 2)

• 120 g green asparagus
• 160 g pasta
• 1 lemon
• 5 g fresh parsley (the leaves)
• 70 g pitted green olives
• 1 clove of garlic (4 g)
• 30 g Parmesan cheese
• 50 g pine nuts
• Salt & Pepper 

Preparation: ( 20 minutes)

1. Steam the asparagus for 10 minutes. (They can be really tender because they'll be pureed.)
2. Cook the pasta according to the time indicated on the package. (Otherwise, taste it after 8 minutes and, if necessary, cook it for another 1 to 2 minutes.)
3. Meanwhile, zest the lemon. (Just the zest—avoid the white part underneath the zest. It’s best to use a Microplane; if you’re using a vegetable peeler, use a zigzag motion.) Then squeeze the juice from the lemon. 
4. Grate the Parmesan cheese. 
5. Put the parsley leaves, olives, grated Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, and the garlic clove in a blender. 
6. Save the water used to steam the asparagus (= extra flavor), and keep an eye on the pasta. 
7. Add the asparagus and blend. If necessary, you can add a little of the water from the asparagus to achieve a smoother texture or if it doesn't blend well. 
8. Season to taste with the juice of the lemon (start with half and taste), salt, and pepper. 
9. Mix the pasta and the asparagus pesto. Serve with some mustard greens and finish with lemon zest (about half a teaspoon per person, since the zest can easily overpower the dish).

Enjoy your meal!

Zoë, what should I do with the leftover ingredients?

• Lemon zest

Use any leftovers to top off any dish you make this week. For example, try it with this salad. 

• Lemon juice

If you have any left over, you can use it here. You can also freeze it in ice cube trays to give a plain glass of water a surprisingly refreshing twist.

• Parsley

You can use it to garnish any dish. As long as you water it a little every now and then, this little plant will definitely stay fresh for another week. Be sure to try using your parsley to make this smoothie, because it’s definitely not just for savory dishes. 

• (Green) olives

Use it to make this super-delicious pasta with artichokes and mushrooms. 

• Parmesan cheese

Whenever I have Parmesan cheese on hand, I make my favorite dish: risotto. In this recipe, I’ll walk you through everything step by step so you can make what I consider to be the tastiest and easiest risotto, prepared the authentic Italian way—with a few small tweaks from my perfectionist self. 

• Pine nuts

You can sprinkle them over any dish to add extra flavor and a serving of protein. Be sure to try this pasta. 

Like this recipe? Then share it with everyone you love. That way, together we can help the world enjoy healthy food!

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