arugula pesto pasta with roasted asparagus

So March came in like a lion and went out like a, well, still a lion. We skipped over the whole lamb part of the month right through to April showers. You won't hear any complaints from me though. I'll take a month of rain as long as it means no snow.

Rain doesn't accumulate into a solid mass twelve inches deep that you must remove from your driveway. Rain doesn't keep you from seeing the ground for weeks on end. Rain doesn't necessitate five layers of clothing to keep from getting frostbite. Rain I can deal with.

Thankfully, rain also means that fresh things will be growing out of the ground soon. Asparagus season is in full swing and I've been taking full advantage. Look at those pretty maids all in a row up there. While I love me a good brussels sprout in the fall and winter, asparagus is my go-to spring veg.

I've now made this pasta twice within one week and as long as asparagus keeps growing, it will continue to be on the rotation. Thank goodness for green food!

I had originally planned to make this pasta with a traditional basil pesto; however, I don't know about you, but fresh basil is nowhere to be found in my supermarket just yet. So I got creative and grabbed a bag of arugula and just went for it. The result is a pesto that is super fresh, a little spicy, yet fairly subtle in flavor. This pesto is a good match for this dish because it won't overwhelm the strong flavors of the sun-dried tomatoes and roasted asparagus. 

Sidenote: look at all those delicious pine nuts up there. I've been buying mine at Trader Joe's lately because they are freakishly cheap…well, cheap for pine nuts at least. Go stock up so you're ready for pesto season!

The recipe below calls for arugula pesto, mozzarella, and sun-dried tomatoes. But who am I kidding? This dish would work with whatever you have on hand. The sun-dried tomatoes could be subbed for Kalamata olives or capers. The mozzarella could be subbed for parmesan or feta. The pesto could be a traditional basil pesto or even a sun-dried tomato pesto. Use what you have on hand. Just be sure to take advantage of some of the fresh veggies finally emerging from the ground!

arugula pesto pasta with roasted asparagus

ingredients:
8 ounces pasta (I recommend rotini)
1 pound asparagus, trimmed
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
3/4 cup arugula pesto (see recipe below)
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/2 cup fresh mozzarella, chopped into cubes

directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat mat.

Place asparagus in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with vegetable oil, salt and pepper, to taste; gently toss to combine. Place into oven and roast for 8-12 minutes, or until tender but crisp. Let cool before cutting into 1-inch pieces.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.

In a large bowl, combine pasta, asparagus, pesto, sun dried tomatoes and mozzarella. Toss well. Serve warm or chilled.

Yield: 6 servings

arugula pesto

ingredients:
2 cups packed arugula
1 cup finely grated parmesan
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, chopped

3/4 to 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

directions:

Add arugula, parmesan, pine nuts, lemon juice, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse briefly until chopped. Then, with food processor running, slowly add olive oil until mixture reaches a smooth consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups
Source: adapted from Saveur