Description
This pesto pasta with green vegetables is fresh, healthy, and showcases the lovely vegetables of spring! Make it your own and experiment with some of your favorite veggies.
Ingredients
Scale
Pesto
- 2 cups loosely packed basil leaves
- 2 large garlic cloves, peeled
- 1/4 cup Italian parsley, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
- 1/3 cup Parmigiano Reggiano (or Grana Padano)
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- pinch crushed red pepper flake
- 2/3–3/4 cup olive oil
- salt and cracked black pepper to taste
Pasta and Vegetables
- 12 ounces gluten-free penne pasta (or your favorite pasta shape)
- Kosher salt
- 12 ounces (1 pack) asparagus, peeled and cut into quarters (on the bias)
- 2–3 crowns of broccoli (about 4–5 cups), cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 cups peas (OK to use frozen if fresh is not available)
- 4 cups baby spinach
Garnish
- Fresh pea shoots or basil leaves
- Parmigiano Reggiano
- Crushed red pepper flake
Instructions
- Make the pesto. Add basil, garlic, parsley, toasted pine nuts, Parmigiano Reggiano, lemon juice, and a pinch of red pepper flake to a food processor. Pulse until ingredients are mulched together. With the processor on, add the olive oil in a thin stream and process until mixture is smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
- Peel and cut the asparagus into quarters.
- Chop the remaining vegetables. Keep them in separate bowls. Some veggies take longer than others.
- In a large pot add 5-6 quarts of water and 1-3 tablespoons of salt. The water should taste like sea water. Bring to a boil and add the pasta. When pasta has 5 minutes left, add the broccoli, gently stir, and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the asparagus and cook for 1 minute. Add the peas, and the baby spinach, gently stir, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Strain pasta and vegetables reserving 1/4 cup of cooking water (to thin the sauce if needed). I like to pour the pasta/vegetable mixture into a super large bowl. You can also add them back into the cooking pot.
- Pour the pesto over the pasta and veggies and gently toss it all together.
- Garnish with Parmigiano Reggiano, pea shoots or fresh basil, and more red pepper flake.
Notes
- If you swap out the vegetables, just make sure to cook the harder vegetables first.
- Pea shoots are seasonal and sometimes hard to find. Fresh basil leaves or microgreens work great too.
Keywords: pesto pasta with green vegetables, pesto pasta