Tortellini Salad with Roasted Asparagus Pesto
Celebrate spring with crisp, leafy greens, tender tortellini and an unexpected pesto made with roasted asparagus.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- Fine sea salt, to taste
- 12 oz. tortellini preferably with a spinach and ricotta filling
- Olive oil, as needed* see notes
- 1 lb asparagus, ends trimmed
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil, as needed* see notes
- 1 clove garlic, smashed
- ¼ cup slivered almonds substitute with pine nuts
- ¾ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, or comparable cheese with a hard and sharp profile
- 1½ tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed, plus more as needed
- 1 head leafy greens, washed, cored and leaves roughly torn into bite-sized pieces
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Generously salt and add the tortellini. Cook according to the package directions. Drain well. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and gently toss, to prevent sticking. Set aside.
- In the meantime, turn the broiler to high. Add the asparagus to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, massaging it evenly on to the asparagus spears. Season with salt and pepper.
- Broil for approximately 10 minutes, turning the spears over halfway through, until the thickest part can be easily pierced with a fork. Keep a watchful eye though, as broiler temperatures vary. Set aside to cool. When cool to the touch, about 10 minutes, use a sharp knife to cut off the tips of each spear at the point where they meet the stem. Then, cut the stems into bite-sized pieces and divide them. Keep the tips and only half of the stems in a separate bowl.
- In a blender, add the remaining half of the roasted stems (about 3 oz), garlic, almonds, 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, Parmigiano, lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Pulse until pureed. Set aside.
- In a large serving bowl add the leafy greens, tortellini and the asparagus tips and stems that were set aside, toss together to mix. Add the desired amount of pesto, tossing to lightly coat, passing any leftover at the table. Drizzle with more extra virgin olive oil, if necessary, to loosen the pasta.
- To serve, divide into individual serving bowls, drizzle with more olive oil and top with fresh ground pepper and grated cheese.
Notes
Unsure where to trim off the ends on an asparagus spear? Gently bend it at the bottom. It will naturally break at the point where the tough stem meets the tender part.
Want a nut free pesto? Simply omit the nuts and add a bit more Parmigiano until desire consistency. I find that when omitting nuts it's best to leave out the olive oil when pulsing the ingredients. After you've finely processed to your liking, then stir in the olive oil until you've reached desired consistency. This will prevent making the "pesto" pasty.
*I alternate between two olive oils when I cook. One is pure olive oil for lightly frying and broiling. The other is a more robust and fruity extra virgin reserved for drizzling or where I want to impart a more pronounced flavor, like in the pesto. The main difference between olive oil and extra virgin olive oil lies in the processing method and quality.