This revivifying asparagus pasta dish from L.A.-based pastaiolo and restaurateur Evan Funke tastes like Italian springtime. It’s vivid from each lemon juice and zest, wealthy from an emulsion of Parmesan cheese, and recent from the addition of huge leaves of recent basil.
Chef-owner of Felix Trattoria, amongst different institutions, Funke believes pasta sauces ought to rejoice the craftsmanship of noodles (we selected spaghetti, however fettuccine, penne, or no matter pasta you’ve acquired readily available can be fantastic) quite than attempt to steal the highlight. The citrusy lemon-asparagus pasta sauce does simply that. The recipe requires little or no prep time, so you possibly can simply make this on a weeknight.
Take away the woody ends from a bunch of recent asparagus spears. We like thick asparagus right here, sliced thinly on a deep diagonal so the items bend and twirl round your fork in live performance with the pasta; when you can solely discover skinny asparagus, slice the veggies into 1½”–2″ items as a substitute. You solely need to sauté the asparagus for a second so it retains its verdant hue—it would prepare dinner to crisp-tender if you begin to work within the pasta water for the sauce.
If recent asparagus isn’t in season, skip the year-round asparagus and check out a creamy one-pot pasta with frozen peas, mint, and black pepper; lemon zucchini pasta; or an easy pasta al limone.
