Description
A vibrant and fresh pasta dish featuring asparagus and a light lemon sauce, perfect for weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
- 400 g (14 oz) spaghetti or long pasta
- 450 g (1 lb) asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2–3 cm pieces
- 45 ml (3 tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil
- 15 g (1 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- Zest from 1 lemon (about 1½ tsp)
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) lemon juice
- 100 g (1 cup) finely grated Parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- Red pepper flakes, optional (1/4–1/2 tsp)
- Fresh herbs, optional (basil or chives)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add kosher salt.
- Trim the woody ends off the asparagus and cut it into pieces.
- Blanche the asparagus in boiling water until bright green and just tender.
- Cook the spaghetti to al dente, reserving some pasta water.
- Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet, then add garlic and sauté until fragrant.
- Add lemon zest, juice, and reserved pasta water to the skillet and bring to a simmer.
- Toss the pasta with the sauce, asparagus, and Parmesan until combined.
- Finish with olive oil, and season with salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flakes.
Notes
For a vegan version, replace butter with olive oil and use vegan cheese. To keep asparagus crisp, ensure not to overcook it.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 570
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 480mg
- Fat: 21g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 73g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 21g
- Cholesterol: 25mg