Ingredients
1/4 cup pistachios, or 3 tablespoons pine nuts
1 pound thin asparagus, ends trimmed, coarsely chopped
1 cup loosely packed mixed herbs: parsley, mint, and tarragon or basil
1/4 to 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 cloves garlic, grated
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper
About 1/3 cup EVOO
1 pound spinach fettuccine, spaghetti, or garganelli
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Meanwhile, in a small skillet, toast the nuts.
Transfer the toasted nuts to a food processor and add the asparagus, herbs, cheese, garlic, and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. With the machine on, drizzle in about 1/4 cup EVOO; stream in a few more tablespoons as needed to form a smooth pesto. Transfer the pesto to a large serving bowl.
Salt the boiling water and cook the pasta to al dente. Before draining, ladle out about a cup of the starchy pasta cooking water and add to the pesto in the bowl. Drain the pasta and add to the bowl, tossing with tongs 1 or 2 minutes for the flavors to absorb.