Asparagus Pesto Recipe: 4 Ways to Serve Asparagus Pesto

Asparagus pesto is a sauce made of asparagus, pine nuts, pecorino or parmigiano-reggiano cheese, olive oil, and garlic. Traditional cooks make this Italian sauce with a mortar and pestle, but most modern pesto recipes call for a food processor. Pesto usually incorporates fresh basil leaves, but you can add other greens and veggies, too—for example, kale pesto, or pesto with arugula or spinach.

Asparagus pesto has health benefits because asparagus is high in potassium, has no cholesterol, and is low in carbohydrates. But asparagus pesto is not necessarily healthier than classic basil pesto.

There are myriad ways to use asparagus pesto as a sauce or condiment, and you can make it thick, thin, chunky, or smooth depending on how you plan to enjoy the pesto.

• As a dip: Puree the asparagus pesto and serve it as a dip with a crudite platter (a tray of raw, cut vegetables), vegetable fries, or even pizza. Since the asparagus pesto has an earthy flavor, it pairs well with sweeter vegetables, such as bell peppers and carrots.
• As a dressing: You typically dress a pasta salad with mayonnaise or a vinegar-based dressing, but substituting asparagus pesto will add a unique flavor and increase the veggie content.
• As a sauce: Asparagus pesto is a good alternative to red sauce on pasta. It adds a distinct texture and flavor and adheres much better than a traditional marinara sauce to penne pasta and other types of pasta. You can add a squeeze of lemon juice to complement the garlicky flavor in an asparagus pesto pasta dish.
• As a spread: If you plan to enjoy asparagus pesto on crostini (toasted baguette slices), make sure it’s on the thicker side so it spreads nicely but won’t drip over the edges of the crostini. Finish your asparagus pesto spread with shaved parmesan cheese and freshly cracked black pepper.