Asparagus Pesto Puree
This purée is great to have on hand. It makes an excellent sauce for broiled fish or for pasta or ravioli, or a poached egg on an English muffin. With added cream and seasoning, it’s also perfect...
Serve this surprisingly rich salad as a second course after a pasta dish, on top of a piece of broiled fish, and garnished with croutons: they’re all good!
Ingredients
SERVINGS: 4 Serving(s)
- 1½ cups shelled fresh peas (about 1 pound in the shell)
- 12 thick spears asparagus, trimmed
- 1 large garlic clove, smashed and peeled
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 whole anchovy, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ pound pea shoots
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation
When choosing pea shoots, look for small pale leaves with plenty of thin, curling tendrils.
In a pot of boiling water, cook the peas until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain. Using a very sharp knife (or a mandolin if you have one) cut the asparagus into very thin slivers on an angle. Raw asparagus must be very thinly sliced to be palatable.
Rub the garlic clove around the inside of a wooden bowl. Add the mustard powder and lemon juice. Mix until the mustard powder dissolves. Add the anchovy and combine well.
Add the oil, mixing all the while. Add the peas, asparagus, and pea shoots and toss in the dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste and toss with the Parmesan cheese.
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