Roasted Garlic and Spinach Pesto with Asparagus and Pine Nuts on Pasta
Roasted garlic is the secret to creamy rich sauces and soups. Roasting adds depth and texture as well as a caramel like sweetness without adding calories.
This dish is packed with nutrition and flavor.
Presenting spinach as a sauce is an innovative way to add nutrition and fiber and creamy sauciness without adding extra fat and calories.
Toasting the pine nuts also adds heft as well as flavor. I feel that the nuts really round out the meal.
This has become a favorite in my home.
Ingredients:
1 bulb of garlic
1/3 to 2/3 cup of olive oil
5-6 cups uncooked baby spinach
¼ tsp nutmeg
Salt to taste
10 spears asparagus
½ cup pine nuts
1 box whole wheat spinach spiral pasta or your choice of pasta
Method:
Roast the Garlic:
1 bulb garlic, thin skin removed as much as possible
Use a clay roasting dish or wrap in foil
Turn oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for 30-45 minutes
Remove garlic from oven
While the garlic is roasting cook your pasta
While you are pureeing the pesto, chop and cook 10 spears of asparagus.
While the asparagus is cooking roast ½ cup of pine nuts at 350 degrees fahrenheit for about 5-10 minutes
Puree the Mixture
Allow to cool for a few minutes then simply remove the soft clove from the peel and place in the food processer.
Place about 5-6 cups of uncooked baby spinach along with the roasted garlic
Add about 1/3 to 2/3 cup of olive oil
Blend until smooth and creamy
Add ½ tsp of nutmeg and salt to taste
Serve:
Drain the pasta and mix in about 2/3 of the roasted garlic spinach pesto and the pine nuts and check to see if you need salt.
Mix everything together well
Add cooked asparagus on top
Garnish with the remaining pesto
Enjoy!
Posted in: Healthy, Ingredients, Recipes
Tags: asparagus, olive oil, pasta, pesto, pine nuts, roasted garlic, spinach, vegan, vegan meals, vegan recipes, vegetarian, vegetarian meals, vegetarian recipes
