LINGUINE WITH ASPARAGUS PESTO

Linguine With Asparagus Pesto image

Asparagus dresses this spring pasta in pastel green. Use the stems to make a finely ground pestolike mixture with garlic, olive oil and cheese; reserve the tips for quickly cooking and then tossing into the skillet with the linguine and sauce just before serving.

Provided by Florence Fabricant

Time 40m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 8

Ingredients

1 bunch asparagus, pencil size
2 cloves garlic, chopped
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Grana Padano (about 2 ounces), plus more for serving, or substitute Parmigiano-Reggiano
Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
Salt and ground black pepper
12 ounces linguine
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves

Steps:

Snap off and discard ends of asparagus. Cut off top two inches of spears and reserve. Chop rest of spears and put in food processor with garlic, processing until very finely minced. With the machine running, drizzle in olive oil. Add 1/2 cup cheese and pulse. Transfer mixture to a bowl, fold in lemon zest, season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add pasta and cook about 6 minutes, until not quite al dente. Add asparagus spears to the pot and cook another 1 to 2 minutes, until pasta is al dente.
Spoon 1/4 cup pasta water into a large skillet. Drain pasta and asparagus tips and add to skillet along with asparagus mixture and lemon juice. Cook over low heat, stirring with tongs, 3 minutes or so, until ingredients are well blended. Check seasonings. Transfer to 4 warm plates, scatter with oregano and serve with extra cheese.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 577, UnsaturatedFat 19 grams, Carbohydrate 70 grams, Fat 25 grams, Fiber 6 grams, Protein 18 grams, SaturatedFat 5 grams, Sodium 455 milligrams, Sugar 4 grams