Asparagus Pesto Pasta with Asparagus Crisps

A spring pasta with a genius topping for double the asparagus

Spring is drawing slowly nearer, and with it the anticipation of the first spring harvests. My garden has two large asparagus patches flanking each side, swaying fronds standing tall by summer’s end. We moved in last summer and the previous owners had left the garden untended for quite some time, and the asparagus had spread into the raised beds. It was fun gardening here the first year to find spears shooting up between tomato plants and lettuce leaves, thriving wherever they could find a way through the soil. There is nothing more delicious than fresh asparagus - crisp, lightly sweet and fresh green in flavor, the essence of spring in a veg.

This recipe doubles down on asparagus by including it in the pesto as well as a crispy topping. The flavor balances the delicate nature of asparagus with the richness of pistachios. I use salted and roasted pistachios here, as I love the texture it creates in the finished dish as well as the roasty-salty addition. The pesto is creamy and nutty, a perfect texture glossed over long spaghetti noodles.

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The topping was a revelation I stubbled on when thinking about roasted asparagus. The best part of a roasted asparagus is the perfectly crispy end, a delicate crunch of toasted goodness. The moment is over quickly as the rest of the asparagus is tender from roasting–but what if it wasn’t? My asparagus crisp is finely cut asparagus that you fry in olive oil similar to shallots to yield a crispy–what you love most about roasted asparagus–chips to sprinkle on your pasta. The crisps are full of flavor–it took a great deal of restraint not to eat the whole pile from my paper towel-lined plate.

Asparagus has a habit of losing its flavor if it is overcooked. The key to the flavor of this sauce is to puree the pesto with raw asparagus, and toss the raw sauce with hot noodles and hot pasta water to gently cook it, no stovetop necessary in finishing this dish. I hope you enjoy this pasta as much as we did.

This recipe serves 4-6, and can easily be halved for smaller portions. This pesto would be lovely spread on a sandwich or used as a vegetable dip if you have extra pesto.

Asparagus Crisps

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4 Stalks of Asparagus, thinly sliced (about 1/8 inch) at a diagonal

1/4c. Olive Oil

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1. Pour the olive oil into a small skillet (mine is a 6” cast iron) and heat it over med-high heat.

2. Once the oil is hot but not smoking, add half of the sliced asparagus in an even layer.

3. Let it cook until the asparagus starts to brown and crisp in places, 3-4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, scoop the asparagus out of the oil onto a paper towel-lined plate.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 with the remaining asparagus slices. Set aside and prep your pasta.

Asparagus Pesto

Makes 3c. pesto

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1c. Olive Oil

1 small Garlic Clove

1 lb. Bunch Asparagus, cut into 1” chunks

3/4c. Roasted and Salted Pistachios

16 oz. Spaghetti, Fettuccine, or Linguine noodles

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1. Fill a large stock pot with 6 quarts of water and salt it until it tastes like the sea. (About 1 - 1 1/2 Tbs. Diamond Crystal Salt)

2. Bring it to a boil, and cook according to the package directions until el dente. The pasta will not cook more in the sauce at the end, so be sure you like the texture of your pasta for the finished dish.

3. While the pasta cooks, place the olive oil, garlic clove, asparagus and pistachios into a blender and puree until smooth.

4. Once the noodles are done, reserve 1 1/2 c. pasta cooking water and strain your pasta. Off of the heat, add a splash of the pasta water to the bottom of the same pot, then add the pasta back in and top with 2 c. asparagus pesto.

5. Using two wooden spoons, toss, toss, toss your pasta until the noodles are well coated in pesto, adding splashes of pasta water (2-3 Tbs. at a time) to create a glossy, even sauce. If your noodles feel like they need more pesto, add 1-2 Tbs. at a time until you get the ratio of noodles to pesto you desire. I like alot of pesto, so I use the entire batch.

6. Taste your pasta, and season with salt and pepper to taste. I go light on the pepper to not overwhelm the delicate asparagus flavor.

7. Serve immediately topped with asparagus crisps.

   Note: If you have leftovers, heat them up and them toss in a handful of fresh arugula. It is a lovely way to freshen up the dish the next day.

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