Pesto Pasta Salad With Roasted Tomatoes And Asparagus Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425˚F/220˚C.
• In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil.
• Remove the woody ends of the asparagus and discard. Cut the remaining spears into quarters and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil, salt, and pepper over the asparagus and toss so each piece is evenly coated. Bake for 10 minutes.
• In the boiling water, cook the penne for 10-12 minutes, or until al dente, and drain.
• Using a blender or food processor, blend basil, pine nuts, garlic, and olive oil until it becomes a paste. Add in Parmesan and salt and blend.
• In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted asparagus, and pesto (about 3 hefty tablespoons). Toss together and serve hot or cold, and top with Parmesan cheese.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Cook 1 pound trimmed asparagus in salted boiling water until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to ice water to cool; drain and pat dry, then roughly chop. Puree the asparagus in a food processor with 1 cup fresh parsley, 1/2 cup fresh mint, 1/3 cup toasted unsalted pistachios, 1 garlic clove, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and a few grinds of pepper. Drizzle in 1/3 cup olive oil and puree until smooth. Toss with 1 pound cooked pasta and 3/4 cup parmesan, adding pasta cooking water as needed to loosen.