Meatless Monday with Spinach Pasta and Asparagus Pesto

Hello and welcome (back) to Miratel’s blog for another  Meatless Monday. We took the Meatless Monday pledge as part of our CSR business initiatives in support of reducing meat consumption one day per week (15%) to live a healthier and more earth-friendly manner. We feature a new recipe each Monday to help achieve this goal.

The first batch of the spring asparagus is in stores and you can’t pass up the opportunity to use if for dinner. While asparagus makes for a great side dish, tonight it’s the star of this amazing pasta recipe. For dinner tonight we’re making spinach pasta with asparagus pesto that comes from Food Network star and talk show host Rachael Ray from The Rachael Ray Show.

Ingredients

Image courtesy of rachaelrayshow.com

• Salt and Pepper
• 1 pound spinach fettuccine, spaghetti or garganelli
• 1/4 cup pistachios or 3 tablespoons pine nuts
• 1 pound thin asparagus, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup loosely packed mixed fresh parsley, mint and tarragon or basil
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, about a handful
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• About 1/3 cup EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta cooking water.
2. While the pasta is cooking, in a small skillet, toast the nuts.
3. Using a food processor, purée the toasted nuts, asparagus, herbs, cheese, garlic and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. With the machine on, drizzle in about 1/4 cup EVOO; stream in a few more tablespoons as needed to form a smooth pesto.
4. In a pasta bowl, combine the pasta, pesto and reserved pasta cooking water. Toss for 1-2 minutes to coat.

This recipe will yield four portions and can be adjusted as needed. Spinach pasta is easily found in most major grocery stores, but the recipe will work well with any pasta. If you are not using spinach pasta, you may want to make the dish healthier by using 100% whole wheat or spelt or even gluten-free. The spinach pasta with asparagus pesto would also be perfect to make when you having guests over as it is a simple and unique dish that uses fresh seasonal produce. Complete this meal with a lightly dressed balsamic or Italian vinaigrette salad.

We encourage you to visit the Meatless Monday website and join us in taking the pledge to reduce meat consumption one day per week. It’s easy with delicious recipes like this one. Spread the word at work to promote the value of CSR business initiatives and make your green call centre, office, factory, shop, restaurant, hotel or salon even greener.

Enjoy!