Traditionally, asparagus is thought to be one of Venus’ favorite foods, along with garlic and pine nuts.

Well, this heavenly dish makes use of all three of these ingredients! This is one super source of anti-oxidants, and so flavorful, too.

You can makes this as a salad or a side, and the push-of-a-button pesto recipe, with its lovely, peppery, fresh parsley taste, will make enough to serve with pasta or rice the next day.

INGREDIENTS
24 tiny asparagus spears, blanched or steamed until just cooked, then cooled and dried

Black Pepper Pesto
1 large clove garlic
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup washed curly parsley leaves
1/2 cup washed Italian parsley leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
3/4 cup virgin olive oil

Vinaigrette
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup black pepper pesto

1. Put all of the pesto ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor and pulse a few times. Now, with the machine running, slowly pour in the oil. The pesto should be slightly coarse. Adjust seasonings to taste.

2. Mix all the vinaigrette ingredients together and chill, covered.

3. Arrange 6 spears of asparagus on each of 4 chilled plates.

4. Whisk the pesto-infused vinaigrette and spoon a small amount on the center portion of the spears.

Serves 4 to 6.