Simple Recipes for Every Day
Pasta al Limone with Asparagus
- Serves: 4
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
Ingredients
- 12 ounces spaghetti (or other long pasta of your choice)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 10 large asparagus spears, trimmed and peeled into ribbons
- 6 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, plus more for serving
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest, plus more for serving
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup minced Italian parsley
- 10 basil leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 cup finely grated pecorino Romano, plus more for serving
Method
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente according to the package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the asparagus and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the pepper, lemon zest, heavy cream, and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the asparagus is tender. Add in the butter, one tablespoon at a time, and stir until melted and the sauce has thickened. Remove from heat.
Add the pasta to the sauce along with the parsley, basil, pecorino Romano, and ½ cup of the reserved pasta water. Stir until the pasta is coated and the cheese is mostly melted. If the sauce is too thick, add more of the reserved pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time.
Divide the pasta between bowls and sprinkle with pecorino Romano, lemon zest, and pepper.