Did you know that asparagus is an aphrodisiac? It is!
{Insert mischievous smile here}
In honor of that little known fact, I created this pasta dish as a healthy and tasty Valentines dinner.
Here, I used whole wheat pasta. If you are new to cooking with whole wheat pasta, keep in mind that it really likes to 'drink up' pasta sauce more than traditional pasta.
Also notice that I use no oil in this 'pesto', which would traditionally be comprised mostly of oil, nuts and cheese, making it a calorie bomb. This version blends some of the cooked the asparagus into the sauce to give flavor and body to the sauce instead of using oil.
Make this tasty dish for Valentines, anniversaries, or any other romantic occasion. Since this dish comes together quickly, it's also just as good on any ole weeknight too.
Orzo with Asparagus Pesto
by
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins
Ingredients (4 servings)
- 1/2 pound of asparagus cleaned and tough lower stems cut away
- 1-2 Tbls. veggie broth or water
For the pesto
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/2 cup packed basil leaves
- 3 smoke dried tomato halves (or sun dried tomatoes)
- 1 tsp. nutritional yeast
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 small cloves of garlic
- 1/2 cup veggie broth
- 1/2 tsp. salt
Additional Ingredients
- 1 lb. orzo (whole wheat orzo pictured), reserve about 1 cup of pasta water, drain the rest of pasta water
- Basil chiffonade for garnish
- Black pepper for garnish
Instructions
In a medium skillet,heat broth over medium high heat.
Chop asparagus spears into bite sized pieces. Make your cuts at a 45 degree angle for a nicer look.
Add the asparagus to the heated skillet and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender. About 10 minutes.
Reserve about 3/4 cup of sautéed asparagus. Set aside.
Add the remaining asparagus to a large food processor or blender.
Add the remaining pesto ingredients to the food processor and process until a smooth and soft, stopping to scrape down the sides periodically.
Adjust seasoning to taste. The pesto should be rather salty on its own.
Once the orzo is al dente, reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water, and drain the rest of the water from the orzo. Return pasta to the pot.
In the pot with the orzo add the pesto, and the reserved sautéed asparagus. Stir until the orzo is coated nicely. Add some of the reserved pasta cooking water to the pan as needed if the pesto is too thick to evenly coat the orzo.*Note that if using whole wheat orzo, more pasta water will be needed than with regular orzo since whole wheat pasta tends to 'drink up' more of the sauce.
Serve on warmed plates and top with basil chiffonade, and freshly ground black pepper.
