One Pot Pasta Recipe- Asparagus Ricotta Lemon

Asparagus. Garlic. Lemon. Ricotta. Olive Oil. Mint. Basil. Simple ingredients, fresh taste, one pot, and delicious Pasta Meal  

This dish is simply fresh and tastes like spring and spring and early summer. The creamy cheese and pop of lemon is just what my heart desires this time of year. The best part? This is a one pot meal! Yes, just read the recipe and see. The chunks of soft fresh ricotta are stirred at the end, so it doesn’t melt, and you are left with gooey cheesy pockets. The bite of asparagus and taste of zesty lemon with a hint of mint and basil leave your palate guessing for more. Don’t waste time and make this meal while all the asparagus is on sale this time of year! It makes fabulous leftovers, if there are any!

One Pot Meal

Simplify Dinner with a One-Pot Meal. One-pot meals are like the footie pajamas of the family table; cozy, familiar, and easy to throw on. They offer the pleasure of home cooking assembled with little fuss and minimal clean-up. This dish contains a starch, cheese, herbs and a vegetable all rolled into one happy dish. Enjoy!

Lemon Zest not Lemon Juice

Lemon zest is the flavorful, colorful portion of the rind of any citrus fruit. Scratch a lemon with your fingernail and you’ll smell an intensely citrusy aroma. That’s because the fruit’s essential oils reside in its rind. Zesting is one of the best ways to harness all of that flavor. This dish is full of bright lemon taste without even using any juice. If you want more of a zing- feel free to add a squeeze of lemon at the end. 

Here is my favorite tool for zesting lemon:  MIRCROPLANE (I do not recommend knock off versions of this brand). I use this same zester for adding the final touch of fresh parmigiano to my pasta dishes. For more on why I grate my own cheese and the tools I use see this POST:Why you should grate your own cheese. 

Pasta! Pasta! 

I love the fun texture and shape of the campanelle pasta. In Italian, campanelle means ‘bells’ and that is exactly what they look like. You can certainly use any pasta variety you like if you don’t have these on hand. I like that the campanelle are about the same size as the cut asparagus so you can create the perfect bites with all the components of the dish. I also like to use what the American’s call “bow tie” pasta or Farfalle. Farfalle (Italian: [farˈfalle]) are a type of pasta commonly known as bow–tie pasta or butterfly pasta. The name is derived from the Italian word farfalle (butterflies). … A larger variation of farfalle is known as farfalloni, while the miniature version is called farfalline.

The “perfect bite” 

A small pasta shape such as the campanelle or farfalle variety allows me to get that bite I desire with a little asparagus, pasta, and ricotta cheese all in one BITE. Is anyone else into creating ‘perfect bites’ with their food? I like to taste a little bit of everything in one precise bite. It’s a rare occasion that I methodically plan my bites these days, with three young children at my table, but there will be a day for that again. Truth be told, I’m not in a hurry for that day just yet…

Made with Amore,

Elena

Pre time: 10 min Cook Time: 10 min Total Time: 20 min Yield: 6 servings 

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic, cut in quarters

1 pound asparagus (cut into pieces and stems removed)

1 pound campanelle or farfalle pasta (or other desired pasta)

1/2 cup (about 1 ounce) finely grated parmigiano (parmesan cheese)

1/3 C olive oil

Ground black pepper

Zest of 1 lemon, plus more to taste

8 leaves of fresh mint and (torn with hands to prevent them from getting brown- metal knives are harsh on fresh leaves)

8 leaves of fresh basil (torn with hands to prevent them from getting brown)

**If you using dried herbs use 1 Tablespoon of each since herbs are more potent when dried

1 cup ricotta cheese; use fresh if you can find

Salt for pasta water

Directions

1. Mix parmigiano cheese with zest of one lemon in a small bowl- set aside
2. Bring a large pot of WELL-salted water to boil
3. Add garlic to boiling water. Let boil 3 minutes
4. Add the cut asparagus to the boiling water and garlic
5. Add the pasta to the boiling water, garlic, and asparagus
6. Cook pasta according to package instructions- al dente
7. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water before straining
8. Strain the pasta, garlic and asparagus.
9. Quickly add them back to the empty pot with 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, grated parmigiano and lemon zest mixture, olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper.
10. Cook on high for one minute, tossing constantly.
11. Add a splash more cooking water if pasta looks too dry.
12. Turn heat off, dollop ricotta all over in large spoonfuls and, without stirring, tip pasta mixture into a wide serving bowl.
13. Drizzle pasta with a small amount of olive oil, fresh ground black pepper, then squeeze lemon juice over the whole dish, sprinkle with mint and basil and finish with an extra sprinkling of parmigiano.
14. Gently toss right before serving

Serve HOT! Mangia! Mangia! 

Tips for Storing Asparagus…

When you bring home from the store simple cut 1-2 inches off the bottom and place in a small bowl of fresh water. Cover the tops with plastic baggies and they will stay fresh for over a week. No drying out or going limp in the fridge drawer.

If you make this recipe please write a comment to tell me your thoughts! I want to connect with all of you through your experience with my recipes.

Other Recipes for YOU:

Lemon Ricotta and Caper Pasta 

Creamy Shrimp and Broccoli Pasta

Orzo Pasta with Shrimp, Sun-dried Tomatoes, and Artichokes

Spaghetti Frutti di Mare (Seafood Pasta)

 

Mangia! Mangia! (Eat!)

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