what to do with asparagus pesto
I was recently gifted with a ton of fresh asparagus and made pesto with it. Normally I make it by hand and just chop it very finely; I like it coarse, with some texture. This time I tried to make it in the food processor and it didn't quite work like I expected it to; I got a true pesto-not exactly a smooth paste, but not far off.
Now what do I do with it? With the coarse version that I normally make, I eat it on crackers, or as a side dish. I'm not a fan of traditional basil pesto, so I have no idea what to do with the creamier version. What are you supposed to do with it? All I know is that my mom used to put a cube of frozen basil pesto in soup or spaghetti sauce to add some zing, but I can't see that with the asparagus version.
1 lb fresh asparagus-woody ends trimmed off and cut into 2" pieces
minced garlic, to taste (we like a lot; start with a clove and go from there)
1/4 c slivered almonds, chopped
1/2 c grated parmesan (can go up to 3/4 cup)
drizzle olive oil
pinch of salt
black pepper to taste
squeeze of lemon
Bring a pan of water to a rolling boil and cook asparagus just until it's tender-crisp. Remove from water and immediately submerge in ice water to stop the cooking process.
From here, there's two ways to do it.
The way I like it:
On a fairly large cutting board, finely chop the asparagus. When it's mostly to the fineness you want, add the almonds, cheese and garlic. You can add olive oil, but I rarely do. Chop until you get the texture you want, then add salt and pepper to taste, and a squeeze of lemon. Serve with a fork. :)
The more traditional way:
Dump everything in a food processor and process. Add olive oil to loosen it up if neccessary. or the reserved pot liquor.
Now what do I do with it? With the coarse version that I normally make, I eat it on crackers, or as a side dish. I'm not a fan of traditional basil pesto, so I have no idea what to do with the creamier version. What are you supposed to do with it? All I know is that my mom used to put a cube of frozen basil pesto in soup or spaghetti sauce to add some zing, but I can't see that with the asparagus version.
1 lb fresh asparagus-woody ends trimmed off and cut into 2" pieces
minced garlic, to taste (we like a lot; start with a clove and go from there)
1/4 c slivered almonds, chopped
1/2 c grated parmesan (can go up to 3/4 cup)
drizzle olive oil
pinch of salt
black pepper to taste
squeeze of lemon
Bring a pan of water to a rolling boil and cook asparagus just until it's tender-crisp. Remove from water and immediately submerge in ice water to stop the cooking process.
From here, there's two ways to do it.
The way I like it:
On a fairly large cutting board, finely chop the asparagus. When it's mostly to the fineness you want, add the almonds, cheese and garlic. You can add olive oil, but I rarely do. Chop until you get the texture you want, then add salt and pepper to taste, and a squeeze of lemon. Serve with a fork. :)
The more traditional way:
Dump everything in a food processor and process. Add olive oil to loosen it up if neccessary. or the reserved pot liquor.