Linguini with asparagus, peas, and ricotta
8
Points®
Total time: 20 min • Prep: 10 min • Cook: 10 min • Serves: 4 • Difficulty: Easy
Bright green vegetables—peas, asparagus, mint—bring spring freshness and vibrancy to this flavorful pasta entrée that’s ready in just 20 minutes. We streamlined the prep work for this dish by cooking the vegetables with the pasta. It’s an easy technique that works with many vegetables. The lemon and garlic cheese mixture—made with a combination of creamy ricotta and rich Parmesan—gives this dish a refreshing brightness and richness. The reserved pasta water adds moisture but the starch helps thicken the mixture, creating a more luscious sauce that coats the pasta well. You can substitute fettuccine or spaghetti, if you like.
Ingredients
Table salt
1 pinch(es), for cooking pasta (or to taste)
Uncooked linguini
6 oz, or spaghetti
Asparagus
1 pound(s), ends trimmed, sliced diagonally into 1-in pieces
Frozen green peas
¾ cup(s)
Part skim ricotta cheese
¾ cup(s)
Grated Parmesan cheese
10 tsp, high-quality for best flavor, divided
Olive oil
1 tsp, extra virgin
Jarred minced garlic
1 tsp
Lemon zest
1 tsp, (or more to taste)
Table salt
½ tsp
Black pepper
⅛ tsp, freshly ground (or more to taste)
Fresh mint leaves
¼ cup(s), or basil, chopped
Instructions
1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add pasta and cook until almost al dente, about 5 minutes. Add asparagus and peas and return to a boil; cook until pasta and vegetables are tender, about 4 minutes more. Drain pasta and vegetables, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid; set aside.
2
In a serving bowl, combine ricotta, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, oil, garlic, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid.
3
Add pasta, vegetables, and mint to bowl; toss to mix and coat, adding more cooking liquid if desired. Serve sprinkled with remaining 4 teaspoons Parmesan cheese and additional pepper and/or lemon zest, if desired. Yields about 1 1/4 cups per serving.
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