Spaghetti with Asparagus

Here is the recipe to prepare spaghetti with asparagus with an Italian touch.

Ingredients

• 320 g spaghetti
• 300 g asparagus
• 2 garlic cloves
• 50 ml extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• grated Parmesan (optional)
• Grated lemon zest (optional for a fresh touch)

Preparation

1. Clean the asparagus by removing the woody part of the stem. Then, wash them and cut them into pieces, leaving the tips a bit longer.

2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the asparagus for 3-4 minutes to make them more tender. Drain them, reserving the cooking water.

3. In a pan, heat the extra virgin olive oil and sauté the garlic cloves until golden. Remove the garlic and add the asparagus to the pan.

4. Sauté the asparagus in the pan for a few minutes, adjusting with salt and pepper.

5. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in the asparagus water you reserved, until al dente.

6. Drain the spaghetti, reserving some cooking water, and add them to the pan with the asparagus.

7. Sauté the spaghetti with the asparagus, adding a bit of cooking water if necessary, to create a creaminess that binds the sauce to the pasta.

8. Serve the asparagus spaghetti hot, with a sprinkle of Parmesan and, if you like, a bit of grated lemon zest to enhance the freshness of the dish.

Trivia

Spaghetti with asparagus is a spring dish when these vegetables are in season and at their peak for flavor and texture. In Italy, green asparagus are the most common and are often used to create simple but flavorful dishes.