Pasta with Lemon, Asparagus, and Goat Cheese

Happy, happy Friday y'all!! It's been a long, but productive week and I am definitely ready for the weekend and some down time. Tomorrow I'm hoping to be at home all.day.long. I need to do some serious deep cleaning and, of course, catch up on my DVR from the week. Helloooo...going to bed at 9 o'clock every night this week has cut into my tv-watching time. And made me feel like I'm getting old, but whatevs.

 

 

I've mentioned before that I have had trouble deciding how I feel about goat cheese. But, after this dish, the dilemma is over. Mixing the goat cheese with the lemon juice and zest reduces the tanginess just a bit, and goes great with the pasta and asparagus. I would say, aside from various tacos, this is now my favorite meatless meal!!

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend! The weather in Texas has been way above abnormally warm, and I feel for all you up North with the sub-artic temps. But, what better excuse to turn on the oven, eh?

Pasta with Lemon, Asparagus, and Goat Cheese
As seen on Elly Says Opa!, originally from Bon Apetit

Ingredients

• 1 lb short pasta (I used whole wheat penne)
• 1 lb asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp finely grated lemon zest
• Juice of 1 lemon (at least 2 Tbsp)
• 6 oz goat cheese
• 3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

 

Preparation 

1. Cook your pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water about 4 minutes less than the package instructions suggest for tender pasta. Add the asparagus and cook another 2-3 minutes.
2. Drain the pasta and asparagus together, reserving one cup of pasta water.
3. Meanwhile, combine the olive oil, lemon juice and zest in a large bowl. Add the goat cheese, and stir to combine. 
4. Pour the hot pasta and asparagus into the bowl and stir. Slowly add some of the pasta water, just enough to form a sauce (you will probably only use about half a cup, if that).
5. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and then stir in the chopped basil. Serve immediately.