Pasta Primavera With Asparagus

Ingredients

2 cups fusilli pasta
1 tablespoon kosher salt, to boil pasta
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon chili flakes
5 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly smashed
1 bunch asparagus, cut into ¼ inch slices, tops left intact
1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
1 cup pea shoots
½ cup Parmesan, plus extra for garnish
½ cup of reserved pasta water
kosher salt and pepper to taste

Takes 25 Minutes, serves 2.

Instructions

Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Add salt and pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve ½ a cup of the pasta water before draining. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, toss, cover and set aside until use.
In a large skillet on medium-high heat, bring oil to temperature. When the oil is shimmering, add chili flakes and garlic. Move and flip the garlic in the pan until it turns golden brown. Carefully remove garlic from the skillet, roughly chop and reserve.
Add the asparagus to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Add the peas and cook for an additional minute. Add the pea shoots and season with salt and pepper. Add the cooked pasta and stir or toss to combine. Add the reserved pasta water, followed by the cheese, and toss until all is combined and the cheese has melted.
Transfer to soup plates and garnish with black pepper and additional grated cheese. Serve immediately.

A springtime favourite, PASTA PRIMAVERA WITH ASPARAGUS is perfect!

We’ve all been faced with the same dilemma – we need something for lunch or dinner but don’t have a ton of time. Although this recipe evolved out of necessity, it now gets made because it’s so tasty, too! PASTA PRIMAVERA WITH ASPARAGUS is good on so many levels.

The concept started like so many, with Carol and I discussing upcoming content. We always try to incorporate ideas and ingredients that we think you’ll appreciate. All of you “pressed for time” readers know that pasta recipes can be fast while all of you “healthy and fresh” folks like adding seasonal finds. This recipe offers the best of both worlds.

If you’re new to Weekend at the Cottage, a few suggestions before I continue: many of our visitors begin by clicking on the process photos and watching our video tutorials. Additionally, we’re finding more and more people bookmarking our pages and also PINNING our recipes to their PINTEREST boards. Do any and all of these things, because this recipe is definitely a keeper!

Enough said. Now, who’s ready for some PASTA PRIMAVERA WITH ASPARAGUS?

INGREDIENTS

We prepared this delicious dish using a favourite fusilli pasta, but the recipe will yield the same superior results if you decide to go with a gluten-free option. We liked fusilli because the corkscrew shape allows the veggies, cheese and subtle sauce to cling to the pasta. Make sure to cook it al dente, and don’t forget to reserve ½ a cup of the pasta water to be used later in the sauce. That salty, slightly starchy liquid will help give the dish a silky consistency.

ASPARAGUS

We’re big fans of asparagus and you’ll see other recipes that put asparagus to good (and delicious) use below. Plan accordingly and choose fresh, locally grown asparagus whenever possible. A suggestion on cooking – don’t sauté for too long, you’re looking for a bite of bite.

GARLIC AND CHILI FLAKES

These two readily available ingredients, and how we use them, are key to the success of the recipe, boosting its flavour profile. After peeling the garlic, smash (don’t pulverize) the cloves on your cutting board and then move them about in the pan with the chili flakes to flavour the oil. When they’re browned and toasty, roughly chop them and set aside – they’ll make a second appearance at the end of the recipe.

PEA SHOOTS

This additional fresh vegetable compliment was a last minute addition that happened solely because my local grocery store had just received a shipment. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that you’ll have the same good fortune in finding them because they give the pasta a pop of fresh, almost grassy notes. True spring flavour, for sure!

PARMESAN CHEESE

This recipe can work with any cheese really. The goal was to add a hard, slightly crumbly cheese and Parmesam delivers in spades. I’ve listed an Amazon link below to purchase a grater but you can also use a microplane for larger shavings.

SERVICE

Our PASTA PRIMAVERA WITH ASPARAGUS is good to go right after you add the garlic and give the ingredients one final toss in the skillet. Transfer to rimmed soup plates and garnish with cheese and freshly ground black pepper.

Although this recipe was crafted to serve two, you may have a tiny bit left in the skillet. We won’t refer to this as “leftovers”, because, quite frankly, they won’t be; you’ll finish the pasta in one go, guaranteed!

Looking for something else that might pair well with this dish? Let’s keep things fresh and uncomplicated. Try this pasta with a side of CAESAR SALAD, this very tasty CHOPPED KALE SALAD and our SIMPLE SALAD. Fresh flavours are always the way to go!