This vibrant asparagus pasta combines crisp-tender spears and your choice of long noodles, like spaghetti or linguine. Tossed with plenty of garlic, fresh lemon, and grated Parmesan cheese, it’s a quick and delicious meal that comes together in just 30 minutes with only five key ingredients. This dish is bound to become a favorite!
Ingredients
For this easy asparagus pasta, you will need:
- 1 pound fresh asparagus (preferably thin stalks)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium lemon (zest and juice)
- 1 ounce Parmesan cheese (about ½ cup freshly grated or ⅓ cup store-bought)
- 1 pound dried spaghetti or another long pasta like linguine or bucatini
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- Fresh basil leaves for garnish (optional)
How to Prepare the Asparagus
Cut the asparagus into 1½-inch pieces on a slight diagonal for easy twirling with the pasta. While thinner stalks work best, thicker ones can also be used.
Cooking Tips
There's no need to blanch the asparagus. Simply sauté it in olive oil until it's bright green and crisp-tender, then add garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Toss in the al dente pasta with a splash of reserved pasta water, finishing with Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil for a creamy, flavorful dish.
Cooking Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Trim and cut the asparagus into 1½-inch pieces.
- Mince the garlic and zest and juice the lemon.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until just shy of al dente (about 9 minutes).
- In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the asparagus with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, black pepper, and optional red pepper flakes until bright green and crisp-tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional minute. Stir in the lemon zest and juice.
- Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta. Return the skillet to medium heat, add the pasta, remaining salt, and reserved pasta water. Toss until the pasta is al dente and most of the water is absorbed, about 1-2 minutes.
- Remove from heat, add the Parmesan and remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and toss to combine. Serve with extra grated Parmesan and torn fresh basil, if desired.
Nutritional Info
-
Per serving (based on 6 servings):
- Calories: 400
- Fat: 11.5 g (17.7%)
- Saturated Fat: 2.3 g (11.3%)
- Carbohydrates: 61.2 g (20.4%)
- Fiber: 4.3 g (17.4%)
- Sugars: 3.7 g
- Protein: 13.5 g (26.9%)
- Sodium: 411.1 mg (17.1%)
Dietary Information
- Red-meat-free
- Soy-free
- Sulphite-free
- Alcohol-free
- Balanced
- Vegetarian
- Peanut-free
- Fish-free
- Egg-free
- Pork-free
- Sugar-conscious
- Tree-nut-free
- Shellfish-free
- Pescatarian
Enjoy your delicious, spring-inspired asparagus pasta!