Parsley-Pecan Pesto Pasta Salad with Asparagus
Ingredients
- 1 bunch parsley
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 bunch asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes sliced in half
- 2 cups whole wheat penne
- A few handfulls arugula
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepare the Pesto
- In a food processor, combine parsley, garlic, pecans, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- Start to pulse the mixture, stopping occasionally to stir.
- Add a few tbsps of water or starchy pasta water to loosen if it is not combining smoothly.
- When it is done, it should be fine, but not a puree. You should still be able to see individual granules of the pecans.
Prepare the Pasta Salad
- Boil the whole wheat pasta as instructed for around 8 minutes or until al-dente.
- Optionally, reserve some of the pasta water to loosen the pesto if it becomes too thick.
- Drain the pasta and allow to cool.
- In a pan, bring 2-3 tbsp olive oil to heat. Saute the asparagus for 2-3 minutes until they are still bright green, but tender. Make sure you cut off the ends of the asparagus before sauteing as they can become quite tough to chew. Lightly salt the asparagus and remove from flame and allow to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine pasta, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, pesto and arugula. Mix well. Add a little pesto at a time until the pasta is well coated.
- Adjust seasoning to taste.
Notes
You may not need to add all of the pesto. If extra is left over, you can store in the refrigerator to use later!