Pesto And Prosciutto Asparagus Food

PESTO AND PROSCIUTTO ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a small rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay the prosciutto slices in a single layer on the parchment, without touching. Bake until crispy and fragrant, flipping halfway through, 18 minutes. Cool completely on the tray, then remove to a plate.
• Preheat a grill pan to medium heat. Remove the parchment from the prosciutto tray and place the asparagus on the tray. Drizzle with the pesto, season with the salt, and toss well to coat. Place the asparagus on the hot grill pan and cook, turning once, until the asparagus has nice golden grill marks and is tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 6 minutes. Transfer the asparagus to a platter, crumble the prosciutto over the top, and break the Parmesan shavings over the prosciutto. Serve warm.

SPINACH-RICOTTA PESTO PASTA WITH CRISP PROSCIUTTO AND ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. When it boils, add pasta and cook as indicated on box.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. When it shimmers, add prosciutto and cook, stirring occasionally, until prosciutto is crisp, about 5 minutes. Add asparagus and toss to coat evenly. Let cook until asparagus just starts to get browned on the edges, about 3 minutes.
• Remove 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Add a few tablespoons of the water to the asparagus mixture, stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to incorporate browned bits, and remove from heat. Drain pasta and return to pot (off heat), add remaining reserved pasta cooking water, asparagus, Spinach-Ricotta Dip, and stir until thoroughly coated. Taste and adjust seasoning, as desired. Serve immediately.
• In a large frying pan, heat oil over medium heat. When oil shimmers, add pine nuts and cook until they make a popping noise and start to brown, about 1 minute. Stir in garlic and onion and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer onion mixture to a food processor fitted with a blade, add in remaining ingredients, and process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning, as necessary.

PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS AND PROSCIUTTO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the prosciutto in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it renders some fat and begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook until the garlic just begins to soften, about 30 seconds. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the wine. Return to the heat and cook until the wine evaporates slightly, about 2 more minutes. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Add the cream and nutmeg and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 3 more minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook as the label directs, adding the asparagus during the last minute of cooking. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain the pasta and asparagus.
• Add the cheese to the cream sauce and stir to combine. Add the pasta and asparagus and toss to coat, adding some of the reserved cooking water to loosen, if needed. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among bowls and top with more cheese.

ASPARAGUS PESTO

Steps:

• Cut the cooked asparagus spears into thirds. Put in a food processor with the basil, pine nuts, garlic, and salt and pepper, to taste. Keep in mind you will add Parmesan as well, so be careful not to oversalt. With the machine running, slowly add the cup of olive oil. When the sauce is about the consistency of mayonnaise, it has enough oil. Pulse in the Parmesan. Thin with water, if necessary, to achieve a slick, saucy pesto. Scrape into a bowl or jar, cover, and refrigerate until needed. You should have about 3 cups. (Keeps about 2 to 3 days, refrigerated.)
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ASPARAGUS PESTO PASTA

Steps:

• Cook 1 pound trimmed asparagus in salted boiling water until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to ice water to cool; drain and pat dry, then roughly chop. Puree the asparagus in a food processor with 1 cup fresh parsley, 1/2 cup fresh mint, 1/3 cup toasted unsalted pistachios, 1 garlic clove, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and a few grinds of pepper. Drizzle in 1/3 cup olive oil and puree until smooth. Toss with 1 pound cooked pasta and 3/4 cup parmesan, adding pasta cooking water as needed to loosen.

ASPARAGUS PESTO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Add the asparagus and cook until fully tender but not mushy, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well, reserving some of the cooking liquid, and let the asparagus cool slightly.
• Transfer the asparagus to a food processor and add the garlic, pine nuts, 2 tablespoons of the oil, Parmesan, a pinch of salt and a couple of tablespoons of the cooking liquid. Process the mixture, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container if necessary, and gradually add the remaining oil and a bit more of the reserved cooking liquid to moisten if necessary. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste, pulse one last time, and serve over pasta, fish or chicken (or cover and refrigerate for up to a day).

ASPARAGUS AND PROSCIUTTO PASTA WITH RICOTTA-MINT PESTO

Steps:

• Toast crumbs in 2 teaspoons oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until brown, 2-3 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in zest, salt, and pepper flakes; set aside.
• Process mint, ricotta, 1/4 cup oil, lemon juice, Parmesan, pine nuts, salt, and black pepper for the pesto in a food processor; set aside.
• Saute prosciutto in 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over med-high heat until crisp, 3-4 minutes.
• Remove to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside.
• Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil; add the asparagus and boil 2-3 minutes.
• With a slotted spoon, transfer the asparagus to a bowl of ice water, then drain.
• Saute asparagus in same skillet used for prosciutto, 5 minutes.
• Deglaze the pan with wine and reduce until evaporated; set aside.
• Cook pasta according to package directions in the same water used to boil the asparagus; reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain.
• Combine the pasta with pesto and reserved pasta water in the pasta pot, then transfer to a serving bowl.
• Top pasta with asparagus, prosciutto, and bread crumb mixture.