Prep, Sauté, and Toss for Perfect Pasta
Asparagus season is winding down, and we’ve been making the most of it here at Earl! Since it hit the menu, our asparagus dish has been selling out almost every single night, and we totally get why.
For this dish we bring together tender-crisp asparagus with your choice of long pasta, spaghetti, linguine, or bucatini, along with a punch of garlic, fresh lemon, and a generous sprinkle of parmesan. Best of all, it comes together in just 30 minutes with only five simple ingredients. It's a must-make before the season’s over, and even when it's gone, you can look forward to bringing it back next year!
The recipe
Asparagus Pasta
- Serves
- 4
- Prep Time
- 15 minutes
- Cooking Time
- 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 450 grams asparagus (preferably thin spears)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 medium lemon
- Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup freshly grated or 1/3 cup store-bought grated), plus extra for serving
- 450 grams dried spaghetti (or any long pasta such as linguine or bucatini)
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- Fresh basil leaves (optional, for garnish)
Method
- Prep the ingredients: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Trim and cut the asparagus into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Mince the garlic, zest and juice the lemon, and grate the Parmesan cheese.
- Cook the pasta: Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for about 1 minute less than al dente (around 9 minutes or follow package instructions).
- Sauté the asparagus: While the pasta cooks, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the asparagus, 1 teaspoon of salt, black pepper, and optional red pepper flakes. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until the asparagus is bright green and crisp-tender. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, until fragrant. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon zest and lemon juice.
- Combine pasta and asparagus: Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta. Return the skillet to medium heat, add the pasta along with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the reserved pasta water. Toss everything together for 1-2 minutes, until the pasta is coated and almost all the water has been absorbed.
- Finish and serve: Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan and remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Toss well to combine. Serve with additional grated Parmesan and fresh basil leaves, if desired.
- How to Prepare Asparagus for Pasta
- Do You Need to Blanch Asparagus for Pasta?
SpaghettiOil & GarlicVegetarian