Description
A vibrant, seasonal pasta dish using a zero-waste pesto made from vegetable stems and leaves, perfect for an Earth Day dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound dried pasta (whole wheat or organic recommended)
- 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1 cup mixed tender green stems and leaves (e.g., carrot tops, radish greens, parsley stems)
- 1/2 cup raw walnuts or pine nuts
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast or grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Toss the chopped asparagus with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 10 to 12 minutes until tender-crisp.
- While the asparagus roasts, prepare the no-waste pesto. Combine the basil, mixed green stems and leaves, nuts, garlic, nutritional yeast or cheese, lemon juice, and remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a food processor.
- Pulse until coarsely chopped, then slowly stream in the 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil while the processor runs until the pesto is smooth but still has some texture. Season the pesto with salt and pepper.
- Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water before draining.
- In a large bowl, combine the drained pasta, the prepared pesto, and the roasted asparagus.
- Add the lemon zest. Toss well, adding reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time until the sauce coats the pasta evenly.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- To minimize waste, use the stems of broccoli or kale in the pesto if you are not using asparagus.
- For a vegan option, always use nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan cheese.
- Use locally sourced, seasonal vegetables when possible to reduce the meal’s carbon footprint.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Boiling and Roasting
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 350
- Fat: 30
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Unsaturated Fat: 26
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 60
- Fiber: 7
- Protein: 18
- Cholesterol: 0