This Straightforward Pesto Asparagus Quinoa Recipe is a recent, vibrant dish full of creamy pesto, tender asparagus, fluffy quinoa, and melty cheese — all baked to bubbly perfection. It’s a healthful, one-pan marvel that’s bursting with taste and prepared very quickly!
This one skillet pesto asparagus quinoa recipe is one in every of our favourite wholesome dinners that takes hardly any work in your half. Vibrant basil pesto is the proper addition to take easy quinoa to spectacularly scrumptious! We’re utilizing vegetable broth to prepare dinner the quinoa too which makes this a delicious vegetarian recipe!
Casseroles have at all times achieved nicely right here at Oh Candy Basil! They’re household pleasant and normally simple on the funds. We are going to ceaselessly loooove our teriyaki chicken casserole and naturally, my mom’s busy day casserole. However this asparagus pesto quinoa casserole might be our most wholesome casserole, so everybody must attempt it!
What’s Quinoa?
Quinoa is a flowering plant with edible seeds. Quinoa is gluten-free, excessive in protein and one of many few plant meals that comprise all 9 important amino acids.
It’s also excessive in fiber, magnesium, B nutritional vitamins, iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin E and numerous useful antioxidants.
Quinoa is usually used as a substitute for grains resembling rice. In reality, we remodeled our standard cilantro lime rice into cilantro lime quinoa. It’s fabulous!
What’s Wanted to Make Pesto Quinoa with Asparagus?
You solely want one skillet and a few easy substances to make this simple weeknight dinner recipe! Right here is all the things you’ll want:
- Olive Oil: Helps prepare dinner the asparagus and tomatoes.
- Asparagus: Trim the spears and chop them into 1-2″ items.
- Sea Salt: Amplifies the flavour of the dish.
- Grape Tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes additionally work nice.
- Solar-Dried Tomatoes: Provides additional taste to the dish.
- Quinoa: Any kind of quinoa works nice on this recipe. We used white quinoa this time.
- Vegetable Broth: Provides extra taste than simply utilizing water. It may be substituted with rooster broth if desired.
- Pesto: You can also make your individual from scratch or purchase a bottle on the grocery retailer.
- Mozzarella Cheese: I favor to purchase a block and grate it myself so the most effective gooey meltiness.
- Basil Leaves: Provides a pop of freshness.
- Lemon: Provides acidity.
The measurements wanted of every ingredient could be discovered within the recipe card on the finish of the put up.
Is Asparagus a Weed?
Asparagus is a perennial flowering plant. Its younger shoots are used as a spring vegetable. It’s typically discovered rising wild alongside ditch banks. So I assume it might be thought of a weed, but it surely’s the most effective dang weed I’ve ever eaten. Okay, this simply acquired bizarre! I simply LOVE asparagus!
Is Asparagus Good For You?
Asparagus is loaded with vitamins. It’s a good supply of fiber, folate, nutritional vitamins A, C, E and Okay.
It additionally comprises a mineral that helps management blood sugar.
Methods to Make Asparagus Pesto Quinoa
There are two foremost steps for making this simple quinoa casserole…somewhat sauteing on the stovetop after which some baking time within the oven. From begin to end, you’ll have dinner on the desk in below an hour! Listed below are the steps:
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 375℉. Warmth a tablespoon of olive oil in a forged iron skillet over medium-high warmth.
- Sauté: Add the asparagus to the pan and prepare dinner till tender. Season with sea salt then take away to a plate. Add somewhat extra olive oil and add the grape tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes and sauté for a couple of minutes.
- Mix: Add the quinoa and stir to mix then add the vegetable broth and pesto and blend all the things collectively. Convey all the things to a boil then add a lid and place within the oven.
- Bake: Permit the casserole to bake for half-hour. Change the oven to broil.
- Broil: Take away the lid, sprinkle with cheese and let it broil for a couple of minutes to soften the cheese.
- Garnish: Add the basil leaves to the highest and squeeze some recent lime juice excessive and serve instantly.
The whole recipe card could be discovered on the finish of this put up the place the recipe will also be printed or saved.
Substitutions and Variations
Relying on the time of yr, you’ll be able to add seasonal greens like zucchini, cauliflower, peas, corn, bell peppers, and so forth. Add them in with the asparagus and sauté till tender.
In case you are searching for much more protein, add a grilled chicken breast, some salmon, shrimp or steak.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Taste: Between the pesto, tomatoes, and asparagus, this casserole is loaded with daring taste.
Texture: Cooked quinoa is gentle, fluffy and barely chewy mixed with the crispy asparagus and melty cheese, you contact on all of the textures.
Wholesome: One serving of this quinoa recipe gives you 9 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, simply 31 grams of carbohydrates and plenty of different necessary nutritional vitamins and vitamins.
Straightforward: I discussed this earlier however all you want is somewhat little bit of sauteing time and the remainder of the work is completed within the oven.
Meal Prep: This recipe shops extraordinarily nicely and reheats even higher. The flavors simply get higher with time so this recipe is ideal for meal prepping wholesome meals all through the week.
Meatless: I wish to try to have not less than one meal per week be meatless, and this vegetarian recipe is one in every of our favorites! It’s so hearty and satisfying.
Storing and Reheating
Casserole leftovers ought to be saved within the fridge in an hermetic container. They are going to preserve for 3-5 days. Leftovers could be reheated within the microwave or within the oven. I favor reheating within the oven if I’ve the time. Place in an oven-safe dish and reheat in an oven preheated to 350 levels F. It would take round quarter-hour to warmth by.
This one skillet pesto asparagus quinoa dish is a scrumptious and simple vegetarian meal that may be whipped up very quickly. With protein-packed quinoa and flavorful pesto sauce, it’s a wholesome and filling possibility for any day of the week.
Extra Wholesome Quinoa Recipes:
Watch How This Asparagus Pesto Quinoa is Made…
Description
This Straightforward Pesto Asparagus Quinoa Recipe is a recent, vibrant dish full of creamy pesto, tender asparagus, fluffy quinoa, and melty cheese — all baked to bubbly perfection. It’s a healthful, one-pan marvel that’s bursting with taste and prepared very quickly!
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Preheat the oven to 375℉.
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Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to a forged iron skillet (with a lid) over medium-high warmth.
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
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Add the asparagus and sauté till tender. Season to style with sea salt. Then take away to a plate.
2 Cups Asparagus, Sea Salt
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Add the remaining olive oil to the pan, when shimmering, add the grape tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes and sauté for a couple of minutes.
1 ½ Cups Grape Tomatoes, ½ Cup Solar-Dried Tomatoes
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Add the quinoa and stir all the things collectively.
1 Cup Quinoa
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Add the vegetable broth and pesto and stir to mix. Convey to a boil then add the lid.
2 Cups Vegetable Broth, 1 Cup Pesto
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Place the skillet into the oven for half-hour.
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Take away the lid, sprinkle the cheese excessive. Change the oven to broil and place the skillet into the oven for a couple of minutes to soften the cheese.
Mozzarella Cheese
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Take away from the oven, add the recent basil leaves excessive and squeeze somewhat lemon juice excessive and serve instantly!
½ Lemon, Basil Leaves
Refrigerate left overs for 3-5 days.
Energy: 349kcal