Description
A bright, fresh pasta dish. Perfect for a weeknight dinner or a casual get-together.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 8 oz (227 g) asparagus blanched
- 3 oz (85 g) good penne
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1/2 tsp hot red pepper flakes
- 1 oz (28 g) percorino or Parmigiano or a mixture, grated
- 1 lemon, for grating the zest
Instructions
- Drop the pasta.
- Slowly fry the shallot and pepper flakes in the oil.
- When the pasta has about 5 minutes left to cook, add asparagus to the pan.
- As the pan dries out, add big spoonfuls of pasta water to it.
- When the pasta is almost done, transfer it to the pan with the asparagus and start tossing and turning, adding more pasta water and tasting for salt.
- When 99.9% done, turn off the heat and add handfuls of cheese, keep tossing, tasting, and add more pasta water if needed.
- Taste for salt and pepper.
- At the very end, grate a little lemon zest over the pasta.
- Enjoy.
Notes
- For optimal asparagus texture, blanch it for only 2-3 minutes to maintain a slight crispness.
- To enhance the lemon flavor, use freshly squeezed lemon juice in addition to the zest.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days; the pasta may absorb some of the sauce, so consider adding a little pasta water or olive oil before reheating.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 400
- Fat: 20
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Unsaturated Fat: 14
- Carbohydrates: 60
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 15
- Cholesterol: 20