Italian Vegetable Fusilli With Basil Mint Pesto - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 tablespoons pine nuts
3 cups fresh basil leaves
1 cup fresh parsley
1 cup mint leaves
2 cloves garlic clove, smashed
1 1/4 cups olive oil, divided
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 (16 ounce) package fusilli pasta (such as De Cecco(R))
1 pound asparagus, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 (5 ounce) bag baby spinach leaves

Preparation

Place pine nuts in a skillet over medium heat. Toast until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool.
Combine pine nuts, basil, parsley, mint, and garlic in a food processor or mini chopper; pulse until finely chopped. Add 1 cup olive oil and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese; pulse to incorporate. Season pesto with salt and pepper.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook fusilli in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking water. Wipe out pot.
Heat remaining 1/4 cup olive oil in the pot over high heat. Add asparagus; season with salt and pepper. Cook until crisp-tender and browned in spots, about 4 minutes. Stir in spinach and cook just until wilted, 3 minutes. Add pesto and fusilli; toss well to coat. Stir in reserved cooking water if pesto looks dry.