Ingredients:
- Parmesan cheese (1/3 cup store-bought grated)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 lemon
- 8 Asparagus Stalks -blanched
- 1 1/2 cups full-fat cottage cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Chopped fresh basil leaves, for garnish (optional)
Preparation:
Time: 30 Minutes
Yield: Serves 2
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil on medium-high heat. As the water heats, prepare the following: Finely grate 1 ounce of Parmesan cheese or use 1/3 cup of pre-grated cheese. Grate 2 garlic cloves and the zest of 1 medium lemon.
- Chop the asparagus into 1 1/2 inch segments. Heat olive oil in a pan and then introduce the asparagus at medium. Sauté for 7-8 minutes, or until the asparagus turns a vibrant green. Set aside.
- Cook 1 pound of pasta in boiling water for 1 minute less than the package suggests. In the meantime, in the food processor add 1 1/2 cups of full-fat cottage cheese, squeeze out 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper and blend until the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute.
- Once the pasta is done, save 1 1/2 cups of the cooking water before draining. Return the pasta to the empty pot over medium-low heat, mixing in the asparagus, cottage cheese blend and 1 cup of the reserved pasta water gradually, half a cup at a time, until the sauce becomes creamy. Allow the mixture to thicken for about 1 minutes.
- Garnish with chopped fresh basil and additional Parmesan cheese to taste before serving.
