A Springy Pasta in a Snap

When I’m feeling extra lazy, I riff on the classic pasta al limone—only loaded with whatever veggies I have on hand. It’s buttery, tangy, and super satisfying, plus it comes together in just 15 minutes. In the winter, I make this dish with sautéed kale or broccoli, but now that spring is nearly here, I’m taking advantage of the early asparagus that’s just come into stock at my local grocery store. Maybe it’s just the excitement I feel at the sudden return of those green, rubber-band-bound bunches, but I swear that the first crop of the season is always the best.

What I love most about this dish is that the sauce comes together in the time it takes to cook the pasta. While the water is coming to a boil, I chop and prepare all my ingredients. Once the pasta goes into the pot, it’s go time: Start by sautéing the asparagus in a bit of olive oil until it’s just tender. (Don’t overdo it, or the stalks can become shriveled and stringy.) When the asparagus is done, remove it to a side plate while you build the sauce by briefly sautéing garlic, lemon zest, and chile flakes in butter until they release their aromas. Stir in a healthy splash of cream and simmer until slightly thickened, then finish off the sauce with a handful of grated Parmesan (or pecorino) cheese and a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

I’d like to note that cream isn’t strictly necessary for a classic pasta al limone. The lemony sauce is often made from a base of butter, cheese, and pasta water, emulsified together until glossy and creamy. However, I find that a bit of actual cream gives the sauce extra body while taming some of the lemon’s sourness, resulting in a pleasantly tangy but not mouth-puckering bite.

When the pasta is done cooking, it’s transferred into the sauce along with the reserved asparagus and tossed together with a bit more pasta water (adding the asparagus at the very end helps to preserve its texture and bright green color). If you’re looking to pack in some extra veggies, you could also throw in some peas or spinach, which would nudge this pasta into primavera territory—after all, it’s nearly spring. But if you have great asparagus, I think it deserves to be the star of the show.

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Zola Gregory is a writer and recipe developer based in Seattle. Having previously worked as a pastry chef and baker, she now enjoys helping others find success in their own kitchens through her stories, recipes, and baking classes.