Creamy asparagus & Ricotta Pasta
Creamy asparagus and ricotta pasta to celebrate local asparagus season! It’s such an easy vegetable to prep, and cooks quickly, helping to elevate simple recipes like this. Ontario asparagus is only around for a short time- from mid May to early July- so now’s the time to enjoy it!
Ingredients
- 2 cups Ontario asparagus, diced into bite sized pieces
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- ¼ cup cup fried guanciale or bacon
- ¼ cup white wine
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- 250g Ditalini pasta
- 1 ½ cups ricotta
- ½ cup pasta water
- ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano
- Zest from half a lemon
Instructions
- Trim the ends of the asparagus, then chop into small bite sized pieces. Chop the shallot and mince the garlic. Set aside.
- Fry the guanciale or bacon until crisp. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, deglaze with a splash of white wine or water. Cook for a few minutes until the alcohol has evaporated. Add the shallot, garlic and asparagus. Cook until the asparagus are tender but still have a bite to them. Season with salt and pepper.
- Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than what the package says and remove 1/2 cup pasta water.
- Add Al dente pasta to the pan and add ricotta and pasta water. Cook on low. Stir until the sauce becomes creamy (about 2 minutes). Off the heat stir in Parmesan and lemon zest. Add in the guanciale or bacon and serve.
Notes
By Cassandra Wardrope at tomato_tomatoe