Asparagus, Goat Cheese, & Lemon Pasta

While perusing instagram recently this recipe for Asparagus, Goat Cheese, and Lemon Pasta on Smitten Kitchen's site caught my eye and I knew instantly it would be the perfect dish to whip together using fresh spring ingredients.  It was almost too easy to make earlier this week - while the pasta and asparagus are cooking you can prep the "sauce" so that it all comes together so quickly, and the flavors of the fresh asparagus, bright lemon, and creamy goat cheese come together so well that it tastes like a spring explosion.  Definitely making this again while asparagus is in season for quick weeknight meals!

Asparagus, Goat Cheese, & Lemon Pasta

Ingredients

1 lb spiral shaped pasta

1 lb slender asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

1/4 cup olive oil

1 Tblsp finely grated lemon peel

1 tsp chopped fresh tarragon or other herb {I used basil}

1- 5oz log soft fresh goat cheese

Fresh lemon juice to taste

Salt & pepper

Instructions

1. Cook pasta in large pot of well-salted water until almost tender, or about 3 minutes less than package suggests.  Add asparagus and cook until firm-tender, another 2-3 minutes.  Drain both pasta and asparagus, reserving 1 cup pasta water.

2. While pasta is cooking, combine olive oil, lemon peel, herbs, and cheese in large bowl, breaking up goat cheese as you add it in.  Add hot pasta and asparagus to bowl along with a few splashes of pasta water.  Toss until smoothly combined, adding more pasta water if needed.  Season generously with salt & pepper and add lemon juice to taste.

Serves 6

adapted from smitten kitchen

xoxo,

stephanie marie