Best Pesto Pasta With Spinach Asparagus And Cherry Tomatoes Recipes

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PESTO PASTA WITH SPINACH, ASPARAGUS, AND CHERRY TOMATOES



Pesto Pasta With Spinach, Asparagus, and Cherry Tomatoes image

Dr. Travis Stork's said it's ok to have a glass of wine with this meal. If I recall he may have suggeted red. I found this recipe on the Rachael Ray Show. The recipe came from Dr. Travis Stork's. Made this for my families dinner! My hubby loved this, my newphew and I liked it. When I made this I opted to used store prepared Pesto, so I added minced garlic to my veggies. For the pasta I used Wegman's whole grain pasta, I used fresh snap peas in place of the asparagus. I used the spinach and opted to add the cooked chicken. I did add alot of shredded Parmesan cheese maybe 5oz or less. Plus I did add some Sea Salt for flavor.

Provided by internetnut

Categories     Lunch/Snacks

Time 30m

Yield 6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 13

2 cups fresh basil leaves (from about 2 bunches)
1/4 cup pine nuts
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove, chopped
2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus additional (to garnish)
2 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino cheese, sardo or 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon sea salt
12 ounces whole wheat pasta (such as penne or farfalle)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (about 14 ounces) or 1 (10 ounce) package frozen green peas, thawed
1 3/4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cups Baby Spinach or 2 cups arugula
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and cut into bite-size pieces (optional)

Steps:

  • Make pesto: Combine basil, pine nuts, oil and garlic in a food processor. Blend until paste forms, stopping often to push down basil. Add cheeses and sea salt. Blend until smooth. Transfer to small bowl. (Makes about 2/3 cup. Can be made 1 day ahead. Top with 1/4 inch olive oil and chill.).
  • Prepare pasta: Cook pasta per package directions. Drain and return to pot.
  • Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat while pasta cooks. Add asparagus and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Cook 4 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until asparagus are tender 2-3 minutes longer. Remove from heat.
  • Add pesto, spinach, and chicken (if using) to pasta and toss until well-combined. Sprinkle with grated or shaved Parmesan. Serve warm, or chill and serve cold.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 354.8, Fat 14.5, SaturatedFat 2, Cholesterol 1.5, Sodium 439.9, Carbohydrate 49.5, Fiber 2.8, Sugar 2.5, Protein 12.8

ASPARAGUS PESTO PASTA



Asparagus Pesto Pasta image

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Categories     side-dish

Time 20m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 0

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.

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