Pasta with Goat Cheese, Lemon & Asparagus

Taste: ***
Difficulty: Easy
Cleanup: Quick

I found this recipe on the Epicurious app on my iPhone and used the shopping list feature as I shopped at Trader Joe’s on my way home from the Berkshires. What a handy application!

This pasta dish was tasty but I made a little omission in preparing it. I forgot to reserve the pasta water!! I always talk about the importance of reserving the pasta water and here I go and drain the whole pot! I was rushing around the apartment after a long drive home and just forgot. Luckily the goat cheese I bought was very creamy so it coated the pasta nicely.

However, the dish was missing a little something. Since the pasta water had been salted, the water probably would added some additional flavor. I found that the dish needed a little saltiness so we sprinkled some parmesan cheese which helped.

Super simple meal and another way to take advantage of one of my favorite spring vegetables — asparagus!

Pasta with Goat Cheese, Lemon, and Asparagus
Bon Appetit

• 1 pound fusilli or rotini (spiral-shaped pasta)
• 1 pound slender asparagus spears, trimmed, cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon plus sprigs for garnish
• 1 5-to 5 1/2-ounce log soft fresh goat cheese

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Add asparagus and cook until pasta is tender but still firm to bite, about 3 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, combine oil, lemon peel, and chopped tarragon in large bowl. Coarsely crumble in goat cheese.

Drain pasta and asparagus, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Add hot pasta, asparagus, and 1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid to bowl with cheese mixture. Toss to coat, adding more reserved liquid if dry. Season pasta to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to shallow platter. Garnish with tarragon sprigs.