Barely Steamed Asparagus with Basil Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 1 pound asparagus
• Salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 6 T your favorite no-sugar vinaigrette dressing
• 2 T basil puree

Directions

1. Bring the water to a boil in either a stovetop steamer or an electric steamer.
2. Cut away the tough bottoms of the asparagus, then use a vegetable peeler to shave the lower section of each stalk. This lets you keep more of each spear than snapping would, and it helps the thicker stems cook at the same pace as the tips. If the bottoms are especially fibrous, you may still need to cut off a few inches.
3. Once the stalks are peeled, slice them on the diagonal into pieces about 2 inches long.
4. Steam the asparagus just until it is barely tender, watching closely so it does not go too far. Begin testing about 5 minutes after steam appears; depending on how much crunch you like, you may want 1 or 2 minutes more.
5. As the asparagus cooks, put the fresh basil leaves and olive oil in a food processor. Process until the basil is chopped into tiny bits and blended fairly evenly through the oil.
6. Scrape the basil puree out of the food processor, including the sides. Add 6 T vinaigrette dressing and 2 T basil puree to the food processor, then pulse for about one minute. You can also put them in a jar and shake to combine.
7. For serving, drain the asparagus thoroughly and place it on a plate.
8. Add salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste, then spoon the Basil Vinaigrette over the top.