When you are eating out in Rome and Florence, most menus include as small serving of vegetarian pasta as one of the several courses. I really enjoyed this asparagus pasta, which (incidentally) our host prepared for us one day at home. The fresh mint leaves add a delicious twist.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces pasta 
• 3 cups fresh asparagus (tougher ends already broken off), sliced
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced, including green portions
• 2 Tbsp fresh mint leaves torn into pieces
• ¼ cup sliced almonds or whole peeled almonds
• ½ tsp Himalayan salt
• ¼ tsp pepper

Preparation

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil and add pasta. Cook until al dente, drain, and set aside.

Place almonds in a dry frying pan over heat and stir until nuts begin to brown. Remove nuts from frying pan.

Spray frying pan with coconut oil. Add green onions. Cook and stir until soft.

Place ½ cup water in a medium saucepan. Add seasonings and asparagus and bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook until asparagus is soft. Remove from heat.

Place a cup or two at a time in a blender and blend until smooth. Add blended asparagus to onions in frying pan. Stir.

Add cooked pasta and mix until coated with asparagus.

Serving

Place fresh mint-leaf pieces in the bottom of a large shallow bowl.

Pour pasta mixture over the mint pieces in the bowl. Sprinkle browned almonds over the top.

Spoon into pasta bowls.