Lemon Asparagus Pasta

Nothing says Spring and Summer like lemon and asparagus! I found some asparagus on sale at the grocery store the other day for $1.49 per pound. I love it when fruits and veggies come into season so they are affordable again. So, yesterday I searched the internet for a recipe using my bargain asparagus and came across Half Assed Kitchen's Lemon Asparagus Pasta. It was divine! The lemon in the sauce was perfect and the asparagus is always good! I used skim milk instead of heavy cream in my sauce though, so I left out the 1/4 cup of pasta water. I bet it could be served cold too and be pretty good. I don't have any leftovers though, so I won't be able to find out... Enjoy!


Asparagus Lemon Pasta
from Half Assed Kitchen


1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1/2-inch thick slices
1 pound bow-tie pasta
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine
3/4 cup heavy cream, half-and-half or plain Silk creamer
2 teaspoons freshly-grated lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup fresh, flat parsley leaves, chopped
Freshly ground pepper
Grated parmesan cheese


Steam asparagus until crisp-tender (about 5 minutes). Transfer to a colander and rinse with cold water. Drain well and set aside.
Meanwhile, bring water to boil in a sauce pan. Add pasta and cook until al dente.
In a deep skillet, heat butter and cream over moderately low heat until butter is melted. Stir in zest, lemon juice and salt.
Ladle 1/4 cup pasta water into sauce and drain pasta.
Immediately add pasta and asparagus to sauce in skillet. Cook and toss until warmed through. Add parsley, pepper and top with parmesan.