Pesto Pasta with Asparagus + Bacon

Print Recipe

No ratings yet

Pesto Pasta with Asparagus + Bacon

Make bright green Pesto Pasta with snappy asparagus and smoky bacon for a perfect springtime pasta dinner.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Keyword: asparagus, bacon, creamy, pasta, pesto, recipe

Servings: servings

Calories: 1431kcal

Author: Shanika

Ingredients

1 (16 oz.) package rigatoni pasta (You can substitute w/ your own fave pasta!)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
sea salt + black pepper, to taste
handful asparagus, ends trimmed + chopped in halves
2 cups chopped cooked candied bacon (See Notes!)

Pesto Sauce:

1 cup organic spinach (You can sub w/ kale or arugula)
1 cup basil leaves
1 cup walnuts
¼ cup Extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon juice of a lemon
6 garlic cloves
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon sea salt + black pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
1 teaspoon dried parsley

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Roasted Veggies:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
Add the asparagus unto the baking sheet (in a single layer) and drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt, black pepper and bake for 7-10 minutes or until asparagus has reduced in size and browned at the edges. Remove and set aside.
In the meantime, cook pasta according to packaging. NOTE: rigatoni pasta doesn’t take a long time to cook, usually 8-10 minutes (however, you should cook at 6-8 minutes or so—‘al dente’).

Pesto Sauce:

Add all ingredients into a food processor and process until well blended and broken down. NOTE: If needed, add a bit of water (1 Tbsp), if too thick.
In a large bowl, add together the cooked pasta and pesto sauce, tossing it all together until pasta is fully coated.
To serve, add the pasta into your prepared plates or bowls, top with roasted asparagus and cooked bacon. Add grated parmesan cheese, if desired.
Bon Appetit!

Notes

STORAGE: Any leftovers can be kept in a tightly sealed container and refrigerated for up to 3-4 days.

PASTA: You can use long pastas like Pappardelle, Fettuccine, etc. however, I would recommend tossing with tongs to ensure that pasta is fully manageable and fully coated.Otherwise, other pastas such as Penne, Rigatoni, etc. are perfect.

CANDIED BACON: Place the bacon on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and brush the tops of the bacon with maple syrup and sprinkle on some brown sugar. Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for 10-15 minutes or so, flipping the bacon and brushing the opposite side with maple syrup and sprinkling the brown sugar as well. Bake for another 10-15 minutes or until it is completely caramelized and crispy.

Nutrition