Pasta with roasted asparagus and almond pesto

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.

Arrange the asparagus in a single layer on half of a large, rimmed baking sheet. Arrange the tomatoes on the other half of the sheet. Drizzle both with 1 tbsp (15 mL) of olive oil and season with 1/4 tsp (1 mL) of salt. Toss to coat. Roast on the top rack until the tomatoes have collapsed and the asparagus is bright green – about 20 minutes.

While the vegetables roast, put the almonds on another rimmed baking sheet and toast on the bottom rack, stirring occasionally for 10 to 12 minutes. Reserve 1 tsp (5 mL) of the almonds for garnish, and put the remaining almonds in a food processor or blender.

Remove the tips from the asparagus and set aside. Put the rest of the asparagus (the stems), the basil, cheese, 1/2 tsp (2 mL) of salt and the remaining 3 tbsp (45 mL) of olive oil into the blender. Pulse until a coarse paste forms. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and transfer to a large serving bowl.

Boil and drain the pasta and reserve 1/2 cup (125 mL) of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the pesto and toss to coat. If necessary, add some of the reserved cooking water to loosen the pesto to a saucy consistency.

Garnish with the tomatoes, asparagus tips and almonds.

Makes 6 servings

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