Grab a taste of spring in each bite with this easy weeknight meal of Pasta with Asparagus and Ramp Pesto.
*This post was updated on 4/24/17
If this dish could talk it would scream from rooftops “I am spring!”
Between the fresh asparagus and ramps, this is the ultimate dish to serve on a beautiful spring evening.
With our ramp pesto already prepared, we just needed a vehicle to to show it off.
One of my favorite ways to serve pesto is tossed in pasta with a little bit of the pasta water to thin it out for a perfect sauce.
I topped the pasta off with a bit of ricotta, not only does it round out the dish for a complete meal, but it also tones down the pungent onion and garlic flavors from the ramps.
Ingredients
- 1 pound penne rigate or similar pasta
- 1 bunch fresh asparagus
- 3/4 cup ramp pesto
- 1/4 cup reserve pasta water
- 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
- salt and pepper
- Ricotta cheese
Instructions
- Bring two large pots of salted water to a boil. In the first pot, cook the pasta according to the packages directions – about 10 minutes for al dente. Drain, reserving some of the pasta water for later use. Place the pasta in a large bowl and set aside.
- Cut the asparagus into 1 inch pieces and blanch for 2-3 minutes (depending on the thickness of the asparagus) in the second pot of water, remove and plunge into an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
- In the large bowl containing the pasta, mix in the ramp pesto and reserve pasta water. Stir until the pasta is completely coated with the sauce. Mix in the asparagus and the grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and season with salt and pepper.
This looks ridiculously good, definitely will have to try this recipe! Following you now on facebook 🙂
Thanks Eric!
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