Asparagus Pesto with Tiny Potatoes and Pasta
Michael Chiarello
FROM: The Tra Vigne Cookbook-Signed
As Seen On: Asparagus
You will have twice as much of the pesto as you need. You can cut the
pesto amount in half, but I encourage you to make the full recipe. It
will disappear quickly on bread, toast, or baked potatoes.
Serves: Serves 4
For the pesto:
1 bunch asparagus, about 1 pound, trimmed and cooked for 5 minutes in boiling, salted water (reserve water for pasta)
1/2 cup packed coarsely chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Gray salt and freshly ground pepper
About 1 cup pure olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 pound marble-size potatoes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Gray salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 pound dried orecchiette or other pasta the same size as potatoes
About 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Cut the cooked asparagus spears into thirds. Put in a food processor
with the basil, pine nuts, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Keep in
mind you will add Parmesan as well, so be careful not to oversalt. With
the machine running, slowly add the cup of olive oil. When the sauce is
about the consistency of mayonnaise, it has enough oil. Pulse in the
Parmesan. Thin with water if necessary to achieve a slick, saucy pesto.
Scrape into a bowl or jar, cover, and refrigerate until needed. You
should have about 3 cups. (Keeps about 2 to 3 days, refrigerated.)
Put the potatoes in a pan of salted cold water to cover and bring to a
boil. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and let cool for a few
minutes. If the potatoes are larger than about 1/2 inch in diameter, cut
in half.
Heat the olive oil in a medium sauti pan over medium-high heat until
hot. Add the potatoes and cook until browned and crispy all over, about 5
minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
While the potatoes are browning, return the water used for cooking the
asparagus, if reserved, to a boil or brint a new pot of water to a boil.
Add more salt and the pasta and cook until al dente, about 12 minutes.
Drain through a colander, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking
water. Pour the pasta into a warm serving bowl, add the potatoes, about 1
cup of the asparagus pesto, several twists of pepper, and 1/4 cup of
the Parmesan. Toss well, thinning with the pasta cooking water as
necessary.
Tips -If you are sensitive to raw garlic, blanch the peeled, whole cloves in several changes of salted water.
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