Asparagus Pasta with Lemon – A Couple Cooks

Celebrate the season with asparagus pasta! Lemony roasted asparagus pairs with fresh basil and Parmesan for an irresistible dinner recipe.

Once the first few warm days of spring hit, we start craving all the green vegetables. Here’s a great way to use those popular bright green spears: Asparagus Pasta with Lemon & Parmesan! This one pairs chewy tagliatelle noodles with lemony roasted asparagus, garlic, and Parmesan. Topped seasoned breadcrumbs and peppery basil leaves, the combination of flavors is unbelievably fresh and savory. This one disappeared very quickly over here: and we hope you love it just as much!

Ingredients in this asparagus pasta recipe

This asparagus pasta uses bold flavors to achieve a restaurant-style quality pasta recipe! There are a few secret ingredients that take the flavor up a few notches. The basic idea? Roast asparagus and lemon wedges, then toss with pasta and a garlic olive oil mixture. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Tagliatelle or fettucine pasta: any wide, flat noodle works well here. Tagliatelle is very wide and has a pleasant, chewy texture. You can also make it with bucatini (hollow spaghetti) or spaghetti if you prefer.
• Asparagus
• Olive oil
• Lemon
• Garlic
• Dried oregano
• Calabrian chilis or red pepper flakes: these add a hint of complexity without making for a spicy dish
• Parmesan shavings
• Italian panko: this is seasoned chunky breadcrumbs: see the notes below!
• Basil leaves: basil adds a lovely fresh, peppery flavor to the dish
• Salt and pepper

Tips for roasting asparagus and lemon

The star of this pasta is the lemon asparagus, roasted until tender in a hot oven! We like roasting asparagus because it gets incredibly tender and the flavor mellows quite a bit, versus sauteed asparagus can still be a bit crisp tender. Here are our tips for roasting asparagus:

• Find thin asparagus if you can. Thinner asparagus is more tender and milder in flavor! Of course, it’s not always possible to find thin spears, so you can work with what’s at the store.
• Chop off the very thick parts. Any part that’s closer to white than green: chop right off! We like to cut off anything that’s very thick because it can have a tough texture.
• Roast the asparagus with lemon wedges right on the pan. It’s the best way to infuse that lemon flavor through the entire veggie! You’ll also add lemon zest and mix throughout.

Add Italian panko for a crunch

Panko is a Japanese-style breadcrumb mixture that is airier and lighter than traditional breadcrumbs. Here it adds just the right crunch in texture to this asparagus pasta. We love using Italian panko because it has extra seasonings added: they add that extra oomph! You can also use them instead of croutons on a salad (like in this Romaine Salad or Butter Lettuce Salad).

• “Italian” means herbs and salt are added. You should be able to find Italian panko or panko easily at your local grocery store.
• Only have plain panko? Use that and just add a bit more salt. If you’d like, you can mix with a bit of dried oregano or basil.
• What about for gluten-free? If you’re making this with gluten-free pasta, you can also find gluten-free panko at stores or online.

Ways to serve asparagus pasta

The most important thing about serving this asparagus pasta? Pair it with a protein! It’s not loaded with protein, so you’ll want to add in a vegetarian, fish or meat protein of choice when serving. Here are a few ideas:

More asparagus recipes

‘Tis the season! Load up on recipes starring the green spears while it abounds in grocery stores. Here are a few more asparagus recipes to try:

This lemon asparagus pasta recipe is…

Vegetarian. For gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta and panko.

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Description

Celebrate the season with asparagus pasta! Lemony roasted asparagus pairs with fresh basil and Parmesan for an irresistible dinner recipe.

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For the asparagus

• 1 pound thin asparagus spears, cut into 2” pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• Fresh ground black pepper
• 1 lemon (zest from half, plus slices from the other half)

For the pasta

• 8 ounces tagliatelle or fettuccine
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ⅛ teaspoon chopped Calabrian chilis or ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup Parmesan shavings
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoned panko
• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, for garnish

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1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Roast the asparagus: Cut off the tough bottom ends of the asparagus and cut it into 2” pieces. Add the stalks to a foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle the asparagus with the olive oil, and add the kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
3. Slice the lemon in half crosswise. Thinly slice 4 wheels from one half of the lemon, then add them to the baking sheet. Zest the other half of the lemon, sprinkle it onto the asparagus and mix with your hands to coat. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, until tender when pierced by a fork at the thickest part. The timing will depend on the thickness of the asparagus spears.
4. Cook the pasta: Meanwhile, bring a salted pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta to al dente (taste testing a minute or two before the package instructions indicate). Do not drain. 
5. In the serving bowl, stir together the olive oil, oregano, grated garlic and chilis. When the pasta is done, use tongs to transfer the pasta from the boiling water into the bowl with the oil mixture without draining. Toss with the olive oil mixture until coated. Add the roasted asparagus and toss. (If desired, transfer to a serving platter or individual plates.)
6. Top with the Parmesan shavings and panko. Add basil leaves and serve immediately.

• Category: Main dish
• Method: Roasted
• Cuisine: Vegetables
• Diet: Vegetarian

Keywords: Asparagus pasta, pasta with asparagus, asparagus pasta recipe