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Asparagus pasta topped with parmesan in a bowl.
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5 from 1 vote

Asparagus Pasta

This lemon garlic asparagus pasta is so cheesy and delicious and just bursting with flavor. It makes a perfect easy weeknight dinner and comes together in less than 30 minutes. 
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 4
Calories: 420kcal
Author: Alison

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces Pasta (226g) Dry Weight
  • 12 ounces Asparagus 1 Bunch, ~340g
  • ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
  • ⅓ cup Butter (75g)
  • 4 cloves Garlic Crushed
  • ½ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest
  • 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice Freshly Squeezed
  • ½ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
  • ½ cup Parmesan Cheese Freshly Grated
  • ½ cup Pasta Water (120ml) Reserved after cooking the pasta

Serving:

Instructions

  • Cook the pasta. Put the pasta on to cook according to package instructions. When cooked, reserve ½ cup of pasta water (to use later) and then drain and rinse the pasta and set aside.
  • Prepare the asparagus. While the pasta is cooking, get started on your asparagus. Cut the hard woody ends off the stalks of asparagus and throw those away. Then cut the asparagus stalks into 4 pieces. Leave the tips whole and slice the remaining pieces lengthways.
  • Add olive oil to a pot over medium heat and when hot, add the chopped asparagus and salt and sauté for a minute.
  • Add butter, crushed garlic, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice and ground black pepper and sauté for a few minutes until the asparagus is al dente (3-5 minutes).
  • Add the cooked pasta and grated parmesan along with a little of the reserved pasta water and gently toss together.
  • Add more of the reserved pasta water as needed to make sure the pasta is well coated and not dry.
  • Serve topped with grated parmesan, fresh chopped parsley and ground black pepper with lemon wedges on the side.

Notes

  1. Pasta - you can use any pasta that you have on hand, but I prefer the long thin pasta shapes for this, like spaghetti, linguine or tagliatelle. We used linguine.
  2. Storing - keep leftovers stored in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serve | Calories: 420kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 637mg | Potassium: 345mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1290IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 196mg | Iron: 3mg