Spring Pesto Pasta with Arugula, Pistachios & Asparagus
A bright spring pasta tossed with a green pesto sauce made from arugula, pistachios, garlic, and lemon, finished with tender asparagus and Parmesan.
Ingredients
For the Green Sauce
- ¼ cup pesto
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 large handfuls arugula
- ½ cup salted roasted pistachios
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
For the Pasta
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 1 pound fresh asparagus chopped into 1–2 inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt for pasta water
- Fresh grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the kosher salt.
- While the water heats, make the green sauce. Add pesto, garlic, arugula, pistachios, salt, olive oil, and lemon juice to a food processor. Blend until mostly smooth but still slightly textured.
- Cook the spaghetti according to package instructions.
- During the last 4–5 minutes of cooking, add the chopped asparagus directly to the pasta water.
- Before draining the pasta, reserve about 1 cup of pasta water.
- Drain the pasta and asparagus together and return them to the pot.
- Add the green sauce and toss to coat. Add a few splashes of the reserved pasta water until the sauce loosens and coats the noodles.
- Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Reserve pasta water before draining. It helps loosen the sauce and coat the noodles evenly.
- This pasta works well as a meatless dinner, but you can serve it with a simple seared chicken breast if you want to add more protein.
- Each serving contains about 650 calories, 18g protein, and 5g fiber.
