Roasted Garlic & Asparagus Pesto Pasta
This week we used pasta and zucchini noodles (zoodles), to incorporate friendly carbs with veggies, delicious enough to have your kids, friends, or whoever, asking for more! We're also making roasted garlic, which is incredible added to sauces, soups, bruschettas, or this pesto! The oil we cure them in makes an awesome base for salad dressings, sautéing anything or adding to today's pesto! Yum! We love one pan meals, it means less mess, so cook your asparagus in the pan, save half and make pesto with it, add the sauce, the noodles, stir, and serve family style! It's a winner! Feel free to omit the cheese in the pesto, making this meal dairy free and vegan.
Roasted Garlic & Asparagus Pesto Pasta serves 6 Ingredients 1 bulb of garlic 1 bunch of asparagus 1/2 zucchini, spirilized 1/2 lb pasta, I used bucatini 1 lemon, zested and cut in half 1 packed cup of greens- spinach, arugula, basil, parsley, or any combo of them all. 1/3 cup parmesan cheese (optional) 1 cup extra virgin olive oil- will be used in multiple ways
Directions 1. Preheat oven to 350. Cut garlic bulb in half, skin and all, lay on foil, drizzle with 2-3 Tablespoons of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and wrap up in a bundle. Roast for 35 minutes, until the cloves are soft and will squeeze out of the bulb. Place them in a closed container with about 1 cup of olive oil, covering the cloves, these are good on the counter for 1-2 weeks. The olive oil infuses with the roasted garlic flavor, so not only can you use the roasted cloves, but the oil as well. (we did this on Instagram stories this week, so check our highlights for a video "How-To") 2. Bring a pot of water to a boil, and cook pasta according to directions. Slice Asparagus into 2-3 inch pieces. In a large pan, add 2-3 Tablespoons of the roasted garlic olive oil, and add asparagus. Cook for 5 minutes over medium high heat. Add a squeeze of lemon juice. 3. Turn the heat off and transfer half of the cooked asparagus to the blender with the cheese, 2-3 cloves of the roasted garlic, and whatever leafy green your heart desires. Blend on high and drizzle 1/3-1 cup of the roasted garlic oil, making your pesto as thick or as creamy as you decide. 4. Once the pesto is done, add 1 cup to your skillet, there will be some leftover, and turn the heat to low. Add cooked pasta, the zucchini noodles, and stir to combine with the remaining cooked asparagus. If the pasta sauce is too thick, add 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water, and stir to combine. 5. Serve with more parmesan on the side, and enjoy!
As always, we hope you love this recipe, and will make it at home. We love to see your weekly creations, so please share them and tag us on instagram, @realfoodremedyrx. We can't wait to see what you come up with this time! See you next time, Friends.
