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Spring Pasta with Lemon, Asparagus & Peas

Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 12 oz linguine or thick spaghetti
  • 1 lb asparagus snapped, in 2-inch pieces
  • 1 cup peas fresh, or frozen added straight from the freezer
  • 4 Tbsp butter
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • 3 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
  • 3 Tbsp grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • Salt pepper, mint and parsley to finish

Method
 

  1. Prep first, and start a large pot of well-salted water at a rolling boil — before you think about anything else.
  2. Cook the pasta 1 minute shy of the package directions. Ladle out 1 cup of pasta water before you drain it.
  3. Warm butter and oil in a large skillet. Garlic, 30 seconds, until golden. Asparagus, 2 minutes. Peas, 1 minute more.
  4. Add pasta to the skillet with the lemon juice, zest, and 1/2 cup pasta water. Toss until it emulsifies into a loose, silky sauce. Toss in the cheese; loosen with more pasta water if needed.
  5. Taste, season, and finish with herbs, flaky salt, and a drizzle of good olive oil. Eat right away.

Notes

Sauce looks greasy? Off the heat, a drizzle more pasta water, toss for a minute. It usually comes back. It is just pasta.