Sunflower Dill Pesto Roasted Asparagus

A delightfully dilly roasted asparagus that both looks and tastes like spring, this is the perfect side dish equally at home at your family table on a busy weeknight, yet elegant enough for a romantic meal or even Easter dinner.

This recipe features fresh dill made into a dairy-free, nut-free, light lemony pesto … if you don’t currently have lots of dill on hand, wait until you do find yourself with loads of fresh dill, then make the dill pesto ahead of time and freeze it (like I did). Pesto keeps in the freezer for months and even (dare I say) years if you stretch it like I tend to do. (I hate wasting food!) You can of course use the pesto on any roasted vegetable and in loads of other ways (dill pesto on pasta or fish or chicken! Mmmm …), but I find asparagus in particular lends itself nicely to this pesto roasting method.

The burst of fresh lemon juice in the dill pesto and the mellowed, meaty taste of garlic after it roasts along with the dill and sunflower seeds in the pesto give the asparagus a bright yet warm and very inviting mix of flavors. The texture should be crisp tender, so the asparagus is bright green in color, has just a bit of a crunch yet, but definitely cooked and with a gentle give when you bite into it.

To be totally honest here, my dear foodie friends, I made this recipe well into the summer last year. Like July. We had a late start on the growing season last year and seriously. I still had asparagus in my vegetable drawer, not-as-fresh from my parents’ garden anymore, but still definitely good in July. I also had some dill pesto in my freezer aching for a new creative use for it. I looked at my asparagus that needed using and thought “hey, pickled asparagus tastes really nice … why not use my dill pesto on the asparagus?” And it was DELICIOUS … so I photographed it and wrote up the recipe. But I never got around to blogging it last year before the asparagus season was WELL over, so I told myself to save this recipe for spring. And here it is, spring already, just after the craziness of daylight savings time when we have to get up earlier (and right in the middle of a coronavirus scare, no less … like we need MORE things to wear us out and stress us out). The perfect time for a healthy fresh asparagus recipe!

Asparagus is high in nutrients yet low in calories. It’s a good source of both vitamins A and C (so yes, good for your immune system!), vitamin K, folate, potassium, phosphorus, and also both fiber and protein. (Good for your heart, your muscles AND your digestive system!) Asparagus is also amazing for pregnant women and can help you lose weight … all in all, it’s an easy add to your diet and a great way to get (or stay) healthy.

But, by the way, I am NOT a fan of frozen asparagus–unless you want to blend it up for soup, deviled eggs or guacamole–because the texture of asparagus is way too mushy after it’s frozen, in my humble opinion. For the most part, you’ve GOT to use asparagus when it’s still fresh!

I also haven’t attempted pickling asparagus yet, although I am guessing my method for pickling crisp green beans ought to work for asparagus too? Perhaps I’ll have to give that a try this year … I know it CAN be done because my friend and co-worker Amy used to make the most amazing pickled asparagus. I don’t see Amy much anymore, but I very much miss her (and her pickled asparagus!) I need to reach out to Amy and arrange some time to see her sometime soon!

In the meantime, I can’t wait to enjoy THIS recipe again.

What if I don’t have fresh dill? Can I use a different pesto?

I think this recipe would work with other pestos (especially chive asparagus pesto or why not pesto rosso, a sun dried tomato pesto that is filled with umami), but haven’t tried it yet. Asparagus is really good with many herbs, so I don’t see why it wouldn’t work with basil (or any other herb you might want to use in your pesto). I suppose that I should really give other pestos a try with asparagus, but first I’m waiting on that fresh garden asparagus to appear and I stubbornly refuse to buy it, knowing my parents will be swimming in gobs of asparagus before too long and they will need some help eating it all! I know some of you already have asparagus peeking out of the soil, or perhaps you’re buying it at the farmer’s market or grocery store. If you don’t have fresh dill at your disposal, I would say, yes go ahead and give another pesto a try. And maybe, if you REALLY want that dill flavor, too, go ahead and add a little sprinkle of dill as well.

If you’re curious what herbs go well with asparagus, The Spruce Eats has a great post on it, along with links to asparagus varieties and season, how to select and store asparagus, lots of great asparagus dishes and more.

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