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lemon asparagus pasta

Lemon Asparagus Pasta

This lemon asparagus pasta is the perfect springtime dish, made with thinly sliced asparagus and sweet bright meyer lemons.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb pasta of choice (I would go with a noodle)
  • 1 bunch asparagus
  • 4 lemons (meyer lemons if you can find them, if not you'll need 1 tsp of sugar)
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • salt, to taste
  • Parmigianino Reggiano, for seving

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 and bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil.
  • Clean the lemons well, then use a vegetable peeler to peel just the yellow skin (doing your best to avoid the white pith). Set the peels aside and then juice the lemons; you will need about 1/4 cup lemon juice. If you can't find meyer lemons, add 1 tsp of sugar to the lemon juice and stir to dissolve.
  • Make the lemon infused olive oil. Add the lemon peels to 1/2 cup olive oil and heat over low until simmering. Once simmering, remove from the heat and set aside to infuse for at least 15 minutes, but this step can be done a few days ahead for maximum lemon flavor. Once cooled, remove the lemon peels.
  • Cut the woody ends off the asparagus and discard. Trim the heads off the asparagus and set aside. Then use a vegetable peeler to peel the asparagus into long, thin strips.
  • Toss the asparagus heads with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast until softened and slightly charred, 15 minutes.
  • Using a slotted spoon or colander with a handle, flash cook the shaved asparagus by dipping it into the boiling water and cooking for about 30 seconds. Immediately place in an ice bath to stop the cooking, then shake dry and toss with olive oil and salt.
  • Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook to al dente (anywhere from 3-10 minutes, depending on the pasta).
  • Strain your pasta and immediately toss with the lemon juice, lemon infused olive oil, butter (the butter will melt with the heat of the pasta), and cooked asparagus strips. Taste and season with salt as needed.
  • Serve the pasta topped with the roasted asparagus heads and lots of Parmigianino Reggiano.