Asparagus Lemon Pasta
By: Anonymous
Published: Wednesday, December 2, 2009 - 3:09am

Ingredients




1 1/2 pounds Asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into ½-inch-thick slices
1 pound Bow-tie pasta
3 tablespoons Unsalted butter
3/4 cup Heavy cream
2 tablespoons Freshly grated lemon zest, (from about 3 lemons)
1/4 cup Fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon Salt
 cup Finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
Accompaniment: freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1 In a steamer set over boiling water steam asparagus, covered, until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer asparagus to a colander and rinse under sold water to stop cooking. Drain asparagus well. 2 In a 6-quart kettle bring 5 quarts salted water to a boil for pasta. 3 In a deep 12-inch skillet heat butter and cream over moderately low heat until butter is melted and stir in zest, lemon juice, and salt. 4 Remove skillet from heat and keep sauce warm, covered. 5 Add pasta to boiling water and boil, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Ladle 1/4 cup pasta water into sauce and drain pasta in colander. 6 Immediately add pasta and asparagus to sauce and cook over moderate heat, tossing, 1 minute, or until heated through. Add parsley and salt and pepper to taste and toss well. 7 Sprinkle pasta with a little Parmesan and serve mor Parmesan on the side. 8 Serves 4 as an entree.