Asparagus season delight: Quick and light pasta recipe
This is one of my favourite spring dishes. It's quick to prepare, includes asparagus, and is both light and filling. It has many advantages. Asparagus can be enjoyed throughout May, but they are particularly well-suited for this dish.
Do Italian pasta dishes remind you of heavier types like spaghetti bolognese or carbonara? Pasta with asparagus is completely different. It's light, delicate, and seasonal, as we can't enjoy asparagus for too long. In this dish, it's important that the asparagus are cooked al dente; otherwise, the dish loses its character.
How to cook asparagus?
Cooking asparagus is not difficult. Just follow the cooking time, which should be adjusted for their thickness. This way, they retain their crunch and flavour, essential for the success of the dish. It's best to cook them in a tall pot, where the tips stick out above the water's surface. However, any other pot will work as long as you carefully control the process. It's worth adding salt and sugar to the water to enhance the natural flavour of the vegetables. How long do you cook asparagus? For green ones, which I use for this pasta, it’s only 3-5 minutes, depending on their thickness.
You can enhance the flavour
The sauce for asparagus pasta is made with olive oil, one of the healthiest fats. Asparagus themselves have plenty of nutritional benefits. They are low in calories and rich in vitamins such as E and C, which support the condition of the skin, hair, and nails. They also contain valuable folic acid. The season for asparagus is short, so don't delay in making this pasta. Penne pasta is best suited for this dish. If you're missing a meat element, it can be served with finely chopped raw bacon, just chop it finely and fry it. Even with this addition, the entire dish will be ready in 15 minutes.
Quick asparagus pasta
Ingredients:
- a bunch of asparagus,
- 200 g penne pasta,
- 2 cloves of garlic,
- 4 tablespoons olive oil,
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice and a pinch of grated zest,
- grated Parmesan or Grana Padano for serving,
- 150 g raw smoked bacon (optional).
Preparation:
- Wash the asparagus and break off the tough ends. Cut into pieces about 2.5 cm long, keeping the tips whole.
- Place the pasta in boiling water and cook al dente according to package instructions.
- Three minutes before the end of cooking, add the asparagus to the pot and cook with the pasta until done.
- In a large pan, gently sauté the finely grated or pressed garlic in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir in the lemon juice and cook briefly.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon zest, and the cooked, drained pasta with asparagus, along with a bit of the pasta water.
- Finely chop and fry the bacon in a hot pan.
- Mix everything, season with salt and pepper. Serve with grated cheese and bacon.
