Description
A comforting pasta dish featuring vibrant asparagus, garlic, and a creamy parmesan sauce.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces pasta (any shape)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion (finely chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (grated)
- 1½ pounds asparagus (fresh or frozen)
- ¾ teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
- â…› teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup grated parmesan (or more to taste)
- ½ cup fresh basil (or 3 sprigs of fresh thyme)
- Zest and juice of ½ lemon
Instructions
- Start by cooking your pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to the package instructions.
- Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Begin sautéing the chopped onion for about three minutes until it becomes translucent.
- Add the cut asparagus, grated garlic, salt, and black pepper to the skillet.
- Cook for five more minutes, adding one cup of water after the first minute.
- Remove half of the asparagus from the skillet and place it into a food processor.
- Add ½ cup of fresh basil, ½ cup of grated parmesan, the juice of ½ lemon, and two tablespoons of water to the food processor.
- Blend everything until creamy to create a luscious sauce.
- Return the drained pasta to the skillet, along with the remaining asparagus and the creamy sauce.
- Stir everything together, using the reserved pasta water to achieve your desired consistency.
- Adjust salt to taste before serving, drizzling a bit of extra virgin olive oil and adding a grating of lemon zest for a burst of brightness.
Notes
Use a variety of pasta shapes for different textures and consider adding other vegetables like peas or spinach for variation.