When I’ve worked a long day, I generally don’t feel like cooking an elaborate meal that takes hours to prepare. I prefer a simple dish with minimal ingredients and maximum flavor. Here is one of my favorites. It only has 4! main ingredients and is ready in no time.
Pasta with Asparagus and Goat Cheese
Ingredients:
- 1 lb linguine or spaghetti
- 6 oz. goat cheese
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest (basically 1 lemon)
- 1 bunch asparagus (zucchini also works well)
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1-2 tbsp of olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Wash and dice asparagus on a bias. Blanch in boiling water for 1 to 1.5 minutes. Immerse asparagus in an ice bath, drain, and set aside.
- Cook pasta according to directions, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
- Put oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add asparagus and season with salt and pepper (1/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper). Cook, stirring frequently for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic. Cook for 1 minute more.
- Add the goat cheese, lemon zest, and reserved pasta water, and more salt/pepper to taste. Stir until creamy.
- Mix in the pasta until evenly coated.
- Serve immediately. You can top with a few crumbles of goat cheese and/or twists of lemon zest. This dish goes really well with a full-bodied, buttery Chardonnay.
Enjoy! ~Missy
