Awesome Asparagus Pasta

Going way back to 2015 for this amazing dish. Our friend Renee gave us this incredibly simple recipe that delivers such a bright palette of flavor and a gorgeous green sauce! I added some shrimp to dress this dish up.

INGREDIENTS:

– 1 lb fresh asparagus, tough ends trimmed

– 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest

– 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

– 1 lb penne or pasta of choice (short noodles work best)

– 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

INSTRUCTIONS:

Read the recipe through before starting, you need to reserve the cooking water for the entire process – do not drain into the sink until the end. Cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces. Reserve tips separately. Cook asparagus stems in 5 to 6 quarts boiling water with 2 tablespoons salt until very tender, 6 – 8 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a colander, reserving cooking water in the pot, and rinse under cold water. Transfer drained asparagus to a food processor or blender. Cook asparagus tips in same boiling water until just tender, 3-5 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a colander, reserving boiling water in pot, and rinse under cold water. Drain tips well and set aside. Puree asparagus stems with lemon zest, oil, and 1/2 cup of the asparagus cooking water. Transfer pureed sauce to a 4-quart saucepan. Cook pasta in boiling asparagus cooking water until it offers considerable resistance to the tooth, around 3/4 of the recommended cooking time (it will continue to cook in the sauce later and become mushy if you cook it through now). Reserve 2 cups of the cooking water and drain the pasta. Add pasta, asparagus tips, and 1/2 of the reserved cooking water to asparagus sauce and cook over high heat, stirring, for 3-5 minutes, or until pasta is almost al dente and sauce coats pasta. Add more cooking water, 1/4 cup at a time, until the sauce coats the pasta but is a little loose. Stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately garnished with lemon wedges. Enjoy