Zucchini and Asparagus Pasta
It's spring! That means it's time to embrace asparagus every day. This fresh and vibrant green pasta is perfect for a light dinner or simple lunch. Zucchini, peas, basil, and a bunch of asparagus mean you'll get all your daily greens in one dish. All brightened up with lots of lemon, chilli flakes, and of course plenty of Parmesan cheese.
Be free with your greens - add extra asparagus if you have it, use up that tired zucchini lurking in the crisper, swap basil for parsley, or toss in green beans instead of peas. Goat cheese, crumbled feta, or fresh mozzarella would all be welcome on this plate.
It takes 30 minutes to make, packs in loads of greens, and heaps of flavour - this simple pasta will certainly add a spring to your step this week.
Ingredients 11
2 zucchini, cut into 3cm thick rounds
1 bunch asparagus, woody stems removed, cut into 3cm pieces on an angle
1⁄2 bunch basil, leaves picked
1⁄4 cup olive oil
1⁄4 tsp salt
1⁄2 tsp black pepper, cracked
1⁄4 tsp chilli flakes, optional
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1⁄2 cup frozen peas
160 g spaghetti
To Serve
1⁄3 cup Parmesan, grated
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Method 5
Remove the woody stems from the and cut into 3cm pieces on an angle. Cut the into 3cm thick rounds, and pick the from the stem and set aside.
In a large frypan over medium heat, add the and fry the slices for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Turn down the heat to low and add the , , and , if using. Zest the into the pan, then squeeze in the juice of half the lemon and mix well. Cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes until the zucchinis start to fall apart.
While the zucchinis are cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the and cook to packet instructions until al dente. In the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the and pieces. When the peas and asparagus are bright green and tender, reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta and vegetables into a large colander.
Add the drained , , and to the pan, with the 1/4 cup of pasta water and cook gently for a few minutes, until the pasta water thickens slightly. Squeeze in the other half of the , add the and stir. Taste and season with more and , if needed.
Turn off the heat, top with freshly grated cheese and plenty of cracked and serve.
Clove Kitchen's tips
In this recipe, we quickly cook the asparagus and peas in the pasta pot with the pasta. Make sure you only add these vegetables in the last couple of minutes of the pasta cooking as you want to keep them bright and a little crunchy. Overcooking them will make them lose their colour and ruin their texture.
