Every cook has those kitchen tasks they despise. For me it is peeling and deveining shrimp and cleaning artichokes. The shrimp just takes forever and I hate having cold hands for that long. I will gladly pay the extra cash for peeled and deveined shrimp.
The artichoke thing just doesn’t seem worth it to me. Sure, if you can buy sweet, luscious artichokes picked mere seconds ago than of course I will put in the time to peel them, cut them, blanch them, scoop them and eat them. But I would still probably steam them whole and just lazily peel them leaf-by-leaf as I dip each one in some aioli.
The fact is the artichokes sold here look as if they have been sitting on the shelf since 1886. The produce buyer must think that they improve with age because the price keeps going up as they become more and more deformed. Does she know something I don’t? Is artichoke mold a delicacy like huitlachoche?
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So when I came across this delightful spring recipe on CHOW.com I decided to forgo the intricate instructions on cleaning fresh artichokes and use canned. I have done it once or twice, so if you are so inclined to prep the prickly beasts you can read my blog post about it here.
Pasta with Pesto, Asparagus, and Artichoke Recipe
Yield:
4 servings
Prep Time:
25 minutes
Cook Time:
25 minutes
Total Time:
50 minutes
Adapted from CHOW.com
Ingredients
For the Pesto:
- 1/4 cup whole almonds, toasted
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, about 2 large bunches
- 1/2 cup packed fresh parsley leaves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2/3 cup olive oil
For the Pasta:
- 1 pound asparagus, tough ends removed
- 1 pound dried linguine or fettuccine
- 1 (13.75oz) can artichoke hearts, drained
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)
Instructions
For the Pesto:
- Place the almonds in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and process until finely ground. Add garlic, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper; process until puréed, scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula.
- With the processor running, slowly add the oil in a thin stream until incorporated. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
For the Pasta:
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat.
- Meanwhile, using a vegetable peeler, shave each asparagus spear lengthwise into thin strips. Once you get to the tip, stop and place that into the pile with the shavings.
- Cook pasta in the boiling water according to package instructions. When pasta only has about a minute left, add asparagus. Cook one minute more, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain.
- Return pot to stove over low heat. Add pesto, artichoke hearts, pasta-asparagus mixture, and half of the pasta water. Toss with tongs until pasta is coated in pesto and add more pasta water if it seems too dry. Season with salt as needed and toss again. Serve with Parmesan if desired.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 645Total Fat: 43gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 35gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 409mgCarbohydrates: 54gFiber: 7gSugar: 3gProtein: 14g
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