ITALIAN VEGETABLE FUSILLI WITH BASIL MINT PESTO

Italian Vegetable Fusilli with Basil Mint Pesto image

I spotted a box of fusilli pasta in my pantry and immediately decided to make an Italian dish with green vegetables and a pesto! My Italian vegetable fusilli with basil mint pesto was amazing, if I can say so myself.

Provided by Cindy Anschutz Barbieri

Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian

Time 37m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 11

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Ingredients

2 tablespoons pine nuts
3 cups fresh basil leaves
1 cup fresh parsley
1 cup mint leaves
2 cloves garlic clove, smashed
1 ¼ cups olive oil, divided
¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 (16 ounce) package fusilli pasta (such as De Cecco®)
1 pound asparagus, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 (5 ounce) bag baby spinach leaves

Steps:

Place pine nuts in a skillet over medium heat. Toast until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool.
Combine pine nuts, basil, parsley, mint, and garlic in a food processor or mini chopper; pulse until finely chopped. Add 1 cup olive oil and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese; pulse to incorporate. Season pesto with salt and pepper.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook fusilli in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking water. Wipe out pot.
Heat remaining 1/4 cup olive oil in the pot over high heat. Add asparagus; season with salt and pepper. Cook until crisp-tender and browned in spots, about 4 minutes. Stir in spinach and cook just until wilted, 3 minutes. Add pesto and fusilli; toss well to coat. Stir in reserved cooking water if pesto looks dry.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 1091.7 calories, Carbohydrate 90.6 g, Cholesterol 4.4 mg, Fat 74.3 g, Fiber 8.1 g, Protein 23.1 g, SaturatedFat 11.2 g, Sodium 203.9 mg, Sugar 6.4 g