Description
A bright and fresh spring pasta dish featuring blanched asparagus and a silky lemon olive oil sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
- 400 g (14 oz) long pasta (linguine or spaghetti)
- 450 g (1 lb) asparagus, trimmed
- Zest of 1 lemon and 30 ml (2 tbsp) lemon juice
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4–1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 50 g (1/2 cup) Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, finely grated
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) heavy cream or 30 g (2 tbsp) butter (optional)
Instructions
- Trim and prep the asparagus by rinsing and snapping off woody ends, cutting into 3–4 cm pieces.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and blanch asparagus for 1–2 minutes. Transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking, then drain.
- Cook the pasta in the same boiling water according to package instructions, reserving 240 ml (1 cup) pasta cooking water before draining.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and sauté minced garlic and red pepper flakes for 30–45 seconds.
- Add the blanched asparagus to the skillet and sauté for 1–2 minutes.
- Combine the drained pasta with reserved pasta water and Parmesan, stirring until the sauce emulsifies. Mix in lemon juice.
- Season to taste with salt and black pepper, and serve immediately with lemon zest on top.
Notes
For a richer sauce, add heavy cream or butter. Serve with a light salad or crusty bread.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Boiling / Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 520mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 64g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 18g
- Cholesterol: 20mg