Asparagus Pesto Pasta

This recipe showed up on my Google homepage and I thought it sounded delicious. I have also been trying to eat more vegetables and I thought this would be a great way to use a vegetable that I don't often eat.

Asparagus Pesto Pasta

Ingredients
1 bunch asparagus spears, about 1 lb
3 handfuls baby spinach
2 cloves garlic
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
Trim asparagus of tough ends. Bring a pot of salted water to a roaring boil. Add asparagus and cook for about 3 minutes, until bright green and barely tender. Remove asparagus from water and run under cold water to stop cooking. Cut tips of several asparagus stalks and set aside for garnish.

Cook the pasta according to directions on the package, using the same water as used to cook the asparagus.

In a saute pan over medium heat, roast pine nuts in a single layer, stirring occasionally, until brown and fragrant. Remove pine nuts from pan and set aside.

Add the asparagus, spinach, garlic, Parmesan cheese, 3/4 cup of the pine nuts, lemon juice and salt to a food processor and puree. With the motor running, drizzle in olive oil until a paste forms. If too thick, you may add water to thin.

Toss cooked pasta with 1 cup of pesto and garnish with remaining pine nuts and asparagus tips.

Amanda's Analysis:
I thought this pesto was pretty good. I think I needed to add more water or olive oil to make it a little thinner, though. Asparagus has a light flavor, and therefore this dish was slightly bland. I did use whole wheat pasta, though, which added some flavor. While tasty, I prefer dishes with bold flavors, so I give this pesto 4 spoons.

John's Jibba-Jabba:
I was intrigued by this dish because of the asparagus. It is an extremely healthy vegetable that I do not eat very much of and I would like to change that. Unfortunately this dish emphasized why I have not historically eaten much asparagus. It was bland. Everything about the pesto sauce came together nicely but it just lacked any bold or intriguing flavors, a real yawner. I give this pesto 3 spoons.