Preheat oven to 385 degrees.

If you prefer, cut off the asparagus tips and reserve for soup or a vegetable side dish. Cut asparagus stems into 2" pieces.

Mix asparagus stems and cloves of garlic with 1 TBS of olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in oven on pan sheet for 15 to 20 minutes. You need the asparagus to remain crisp, with a slight tenderness. If you roast until tender, you'll have mushy pesto. Allow to cool slightly.

Finely chop or mince all ingredients (except grated parmesan cheese) in a blender or food processor. Blend until it reaches your desired consistency. Add 1/4 cup or less/more of olive oil to thin pesto to your liking while blending. We prefer our pesto finely chopped (see our photo). If using pesto to mix with hot pasta, you might desire a thinner consistency for easier blending and therefore will need more olive oil. A thicker pesto works better as a dip or spread like shown in our photo.

Remove from your blender or food processor and add mixture to a bowl. Add Parmesan cheese. If needed, season with additional salt and pepper. Mix gently.