A light, fresh and bright summery asparagus and basil pesto!
A quick and easy, fresh and bright summery asparagus and basil pesto!
I am a huge fan of freshly made basil pesto and in the spring I enjoy adding asparagus to the mix! This homemade asparagus pesto is so easy to make! You pretty much just puree asparagus, basil, parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, lemon, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a food processor, and that’s it! You can use this asparagus pesto in pretty much the same way that you use basil pesto such as: as a sauce for pasta, in salad dressings, in marinades, as spread in sandwiches, and the best way, by the spoonful!
Asparagus Pesto
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes Servings: 24(~1.5 cups or 24 1 tablespoon servings)
A light, fresh and bright summery asparagus and basil pesto!
ingredients
- 1 cup asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted
- 1/2 cup basil
- 1 clove garlic
- 4 tablespoons parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 lemon, zest and juice
- salt and pepper to taste
directions
- Blanch the asparagus by placing it in boiling water (or in a steaming steamer) and cooking until it just turns a dark green before transferring it to cold water to cool and stop the cooking process. (The asparagus will be just tender and still a little crispy.)
- Meanwhile, lightly toast the pinenuts in a pan over medium heat.
- Puree everything in a food processor.
Nutrition Facts: Calories 30, Fat 2g (Saturated 0.6g, Trans 0), Cholesterol 1mg, Sodium 32mg, Carbs 0.5g (Fiber 0.2g, Sugars 0.2g), Protein 1g
Nutrition by: 
Sometimes it is best to leave out something when freezing.
Leave out the cheese until ready to use after thawing?
You can freeze this without the cheese and mix it in later, or you freeze it with it already mixed in.
What nut can you substitute for pine nuts? I have a sever allergy to them.
You can use walnuts, cashews, or you can simply omit them. Enjoy!