Made with a small list of simple yet flavorful ingredients, this pasta with lemon and asparagus is great for dinners, a light lunch or even to pack for a picnic.
There is no sauce as such for this pasta dish. Freshly grated Parmesan combined with some reserved pasta sauce makes for a barely there silky smooth sauce.
Also, asparagus is so delicious when in season and it is packed with vitamins C and K and has a ton of fiber too. It cooks very quickly which makes it a great veggie to add to quick weekday meals.
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📋 Ingredients to make lemon asparagus pasta
- Pasta - any small pasta will work. I love to use fusilli, strozzapreti, cavatappi or penne works.
- Asparagus - buy fresh asparagus when in season, they are bursting with flavors and are packed with nutrients. I cut the asparagus at about the same length as the pasta to keep it uniform in each bite.
- Lemon - a regular sized organic lemon is used in this recipe. I like to buy organic when I use the zest of the lemons too, which is in most cases. The zest has all the flavors in it that lends the citrusy flavor very beautifully in the pasta.
- Garlic - I mean, most all recipes need garlic. Am I right? Or Am I right?
- Olive oil and butter - I like to use a combination of these fats to bring an extra layer of deliciousness to the pasta.
- Parmesan cheese - DO NOT use pre-grated Parmesan cheese. Not only do they have extra ingredients to prevent it from caking, it simply does not taste good enough. Always buy a block of Parmesan cheese and grate it fresh over the pasta or sauce or whatever you are making. It really makes a world of a difference.
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🍽 Equipment used
Pasta Pot with strainer - I love using this for cooking my pasta. Not only is it easier to strain the pasta out and pour it out into the cooking pan (I mean, it's not always that the sink is all clean, right?) but also its a great way to remember to save that pasta water that you may need to make the pasta dish. I used to accidentally drain out all of the pasta water but ever since I started using this, I always have reserved pasta water whether I intend to reserve it or not.
Le Creuset Braiser - I find this braiser to be the perfect size for making pasta for our family of four. It’s shallow enough and deep enough. And also cleans up well.
Garlic press - I am so against buying kitchen tools that serve only one purpose, but this is like heaven sent. If you just want minced or crushed garlic, then this is your tool. No peeling, no mincing. Just put a garlic pod in this and press away to extract fresh crushed garlic. The peel is left behind for you to toss out. Put it in the dishwasher once you are done.
Microplane zester - this is a kitchen tool I cannot live without. It is an absolute must to finely zest lemon / lime/ orange.
Cheese grater - I have a box grater and also a couple of these handheld micro plane graters. They are so easy to use to grate cheese right on top of the pasta dish in your pot or on the plate.
🔪 Method
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. I love using my pasta pot with the in-built strainer. Cook the pasta to al-dente, according to package instructions. About 7-8 mins.
- While the pasta is cooking, trim and cut the asparagus.
- Heat the oil and melt the butter in a deep skillet, over medium heat. Add the asparagus and garlic to it.
- Sauté for 4-5 mins for the asparagus to soften up. Season with salt and fresh crushed black pepper.
- Drain the pasta and add it to the asparagus. Zest lemon and grate Parmesan over the pasta and mix it in well.
- Remove from heat and add a squeeze of some more lemon.
- Top with more grated Parmesan to serve.
🍴 Serving Suggestions
Serve the Lemon Asparagus pasta as it is for dinner. Or you can add some more protein to this meal with this Mediterranean Lemon Roasted Chicken or Harissa marinated Chickpea Salad.
As for a good wine to pair with it, a Sauvignon Blanc or even a crisp Chardonnay will work. Asparagus is generally hard to pair with a wine but the lemon in this pasta will offset the sulphuric compounds in the asparagus to be able to pair it with these white wines.
💭 Recipe Tips
- Seasonally fresh asparagus is the best to use in this recipe, as it is the main flavor agent here.
- As always with zesting lemon, make sure that you zest only the yellow part and stop when you get to the white. The yellow part of the zest has all the fragrant essential oils in the lemon and the white part will make the dish taste bitter.
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📖 Recipe
Lemon Asparagus Pasta with Parmesan
Ingredients
- 1 bunch asparagus trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 cups strozzapretti pasta or any other short pasta
- 1 medium sized lemon
- salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon fresh crushed black pepper
- 1 cup grated parmesan
- 10-12 cups water to boil the pasta in
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta to al-dente, according to package instructions. About 7-8 mins.
- While the pasta is cooking, trim and cut the asparagus.
- Heat the oil and melt the butter in a deep skillet, over medium heat. Add the asparagus and garlic to it.1 bunch asparagus, 2 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon butter, 3 cloves garlic
- Sauté for 4-5 mins for the asparagus to soften up. Season with salt and fresh crushed black pepper.salt, ¼ teaspoon fresh crushed black pepper
- Drain the pasta and add it to the asparagus. Zest lemon and grate Parmesan over the pasta and mix it in well.If needed, add some pasta water to this to make it a little creamier (maybe ½ cup)3 cups strozzapretti pasta, 1 medium sized lemon, 1 cup grated parmesan
- Remove from heat and add a squeeze of the lemon. Top with more grated Parmesan to serve.
Notes
- Seasonally fresh asparagus is the best to use in this recipe, as it is the main flavor agent here.
- As always with zesting lemon, make sure that you zest only the yellow part and stop when you get to the white. The yellow part of the zest has all the fragrant essential oils in the lemon and the white part will make the dish taste bitter.
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