How to Make Appetizing Penne and Asparagus Pesto

Penne and Asparagus Pesto. Rinse asparagus spears and snap off and discard their tough ends. Add to the bowl with the pesto and stir to coat them well. Top with toasted walnuts and serve at once.

A bright and lemony pesto sauce with penne and asparagus. By adding some lemon to the pesto you create a herby, lemony, bright sauce that pairs really well with asparagus and pasta. I like mini penne with pesto because of the little lines or ridges in them, which is great for catching the sauce. You can have Penne and Asparagus Pesto using 13 ingredients and 9 steps. Here is how you cook that.

Ingredients of Penne and Asparagus Pesto

1. It's 1 packages of Penne pasta or spaghetti.
2. You need 1 packages of Grape or cherry tomatoes.
3. It's 1 of olive oil.
4. Prepare of Pesto.
5. Prepare 5 oz of cheese (queso fresco).
6. It's 10 of garlic flavored cracker.
7. You need 1 bunch of Asparagus.
8. It's 1 tbsp of olive oil.
9. Prepare 2 tbsp of cream cheese.
10. It's 2 tsp of dried thyme.
11. Prepare 2 tsp of rosemary.
12. It's 1 of salt.
13. Prepare 1 of pepper.

Add the asparagus and season with salt and pepper. Any longer and it will lose its bright green color as it will continue to cook once removed from. There was winter, but it wasn't 'really' winter by any standards. Literally just finished cooking! this is awesome!

Penne and Asparagus Pesto instructions

1. Bring pot of water to boil and add penne pasta. Cook to Al dente, drain and set aside..
2. While noodles are cooking, set oven to bake at 425. Cut bottom ends off of asparagus. Put rinsed asparagus and tomatoes on baking sheet and drizzle olive oil all over to coat..
3. Roast asparagus and tomatoes for 10 minutes depending on thickness of asparagus. As long as the tips are cooked...the rest of the stalk will be used in pesto. Remove from oven and set tomatoes aside..
4. Chop top tips of asparagus about 1" and set aside..
5. Crumble cheese and crackers into blender. Chop up remaining asparagus and drop into blender..
6. Add olive oil, cream cheese, thyme, rosemary, salt & pepper. Mix till a thick paste. May need to stir and foil it in..
7. In large bowl, add penne and half the pesto. Mix. Continue adding more pesto. I still had 1/4 cup left to use for another dish..
8. Serve portion of pasta on plate. Garnish with asparagus tips and tomatoes..
9. Substitute: I didn't have any pine nuts or sliced almonds. So I used crackers instead. It helps in making it a good thick paste..

Chickpeas give this vegan pesto recipe a lovely creaminess. If you can use homemade almond milk, which doesn't take long to make, all the better. Tossed with whole-grain penne, broccoli, and cherry tomatoes, it makes a satisfying, colorful meal. First, cook pasta according to package directions; drain. This lovely pasta recipe reminds us that spring is just around the corner, when local asparagus becomes available.