Lemon Asparagus Pasta
A win-win - a quick, nutritious and delicious dinner, mixed together in one pot. This Mediterranean meal, taking from Smitten Kitchen, is perfect for any season - for summer it's full of bright, citrusy tastes, for winter the pasta and cheese make it a comfort food. For spring and fall, it's a dish that fills the gap - so keep this on hand for whenever you need a perfect meal. Throw in some Kalamata olives for even more Mediterranean flavour.
Add scallops for another way to enjoy pasta: Pasta with Scallops, Lemon and Nuts
Ingredients
1 pound spiral-shaped pasta
1 pound slender asparagus spears, trimmed, cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon plus more for garnish
Feta cheese or soft fresh goat cheese, according to taste (I use a lot)
Fresh lemon juice to taste (optional)
Method
Cook the pasta in a large pot of well-salted water until it is almost tender, or about three minutes shy of what the package suggests.
Add the asparagus and cook until firm-tender, another two to three minutes. Drain both pasta and asparagus together, reserving one cup of pasta water.
Meanwhile, combine the olive oil, lemon peel, tarragon and the cheese in a large bowl, breaking up the cheese as you put it in. Add the hot pasta and asparagus to the bowl, along with a couple slashes of the pasta water.
Toss until everything is smoothly combined, adding more pasta water if needed. Season generously with salt and pepper, and lemon juice, according to your taste.
A win-win - a quick, nutritious and delicious dinner, mixed together in one pot. This Mediterranean meal, taking from Smitten Kitchen, is perfect for any season - for summer it's full of bright, citrusy tastes, for winter the pasta and cheese make it a comfort food. For spring and fall, it's a dish that fills the gap - so keep this on hand for whenever you need a perfect meal. Throw in some Kalamata olives for even more Mediterranean flavour.
Add scallops for another way to enjoy pasta: Pasta with Scallops, Lemon and Nuts
Ingredients
1 pound spiral-shaped pasta
1 pound slender asparagus spears, trimmed, cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon plus more for garnish
Feta cheese or soft fresh goat cheese, according to taste (I use a lot)
Fresh lemon juice to taste (optional)
Method
Cook the pasta in a large pot of well-salted water until it is almost tender, or about three minutes shy of what the package suggests.
Add the asparagus and cook until firm-tender, another two to three minutes. Drain both pasta and asparagus together, reserving one cup of pasta water.
Meanwhile, combine the olive oil, lemon peel, tarragon and the cheese in a large bowl, breaking up the cheese as you put it in. Add the hot pasta and asparagus to the bowl, along with a couple slashes of the pasta water.
Toss until everything is smoothly combined, adding more pasta water if needed. Season generously with salt and pepper, and lemon juice, according to your taste.