Shrimp Pesto Pasta with Asparagus

Ingredients

• 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup slightly packed parsley leaves, or more basil
• 1/3 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted or untoasted
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 Tbsp olive oil
• 10 oz dry linguine pasta
• 1 lb asparagus, tough ends trimmed and discarded, remaining diced into 2-inch pieces and steamed
• 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Make the pesto first: add the basil, parsley, parmesan, pine nuts and garlic to a food processor, then add salt and pepper to your taste; 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper is a good measure here. Pulse until everything is minced very small. With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil slowly, then let it blend for several seconds, until the pesto looks smooth and fully mixed.
2. For the pasta, cook the linguine in salted boiling water following the package directions. Before you drain it, scoop out 1/3 cup of the pasta water and set it aside.
3. While the pasta cooks, warm 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, turning them now and then, until they are pink on the outside and opaque all the way through, about 3 – 4 minutes.
4. Add the lemon juice to the shrimp and toss to coat. Put the pasta and asparagus into the pan with the shrimp, toss everything together, and adjust with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Cool the mixture for 1 minute, just long enough so the pesto stays fresh and green instead of cooking in the hot pan. Add the pesto and toss until everything is coated, using the reserved pasta water to loosen it as you like. Serve immediately.