Asparagus and Seafood Pasta

I do get tired of the ol' tomato-based pasta sauce, don't you? Everyone in my family loves pesto sauce, so I concocted this pasta dish for Media Noche. It's asparagus and seafood pasta with creamy asparagus pesto sauce---my first attempt, and it was a hit! Even my mother loved it---a miracle.:p

I'll do my best to give you a recipe here but not really good at ratio and proportions so I'll leave it all up to you.

Things you need:
Pasta
Shrimps
Clams
Fresh asparagus
Mushrooms (fresh or canned)
Fresh Basil
Roasted Pine nuts
Olive Oil
Garlic and Onions
All-purpose cream
Parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1. Boil spaghetti until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. Boil shrimps and clams with a pinch of salt. Shell shrimps, clams can be left with shells intact or take the meat out of the shell. Set aside.
3. Cut asparagus diagonally. Set aside fresh asparagus tips. Boil the remaining spears until tender.
4. Cut mushrooms and set aside.
3. In a food processor or blender, combine garlic, fresh basil, boiled asparagus spears, pine nuts, olive oil, grated Parmesan cheese, and all-purpose cream. Puree until a paste forms, and if too thick, thin it with a bit of boiled asparagus water. Add salt and pepper, taste and adjust seasoning.
4. In a skillet, saute garlic and onion in olive oil. Add shelled shrimps and clams, then mix in mushrooms and asparagus tips. Don't overcook asparagus tips, it should be bright green and crisp.
5. Pour in the pesto sauce from the food processor and mix well.
6. Serve with a dusting of Parmesan cheese, a light drizzle of olive oil, and garnish with asparagus tips.

I like my sauce a bit spicy so I added more garlic in the pesto sauce. If you prefer a vegetarian sauce, you can leave out the shrimps and clams. If you're counting calories, don't add the all-purpose cream, add a cup of olive oil instead. And if I were to critique this dish, I think it had too much basil. Go easy on the basil, the flavor can be a bit overwhelming. Oh, and it's not very photogenic...I was about to eat when I remember to take a photo.:p

Posted for Food Trip Friday and Food Friday