Recipe courtesy of A Better Choice
Serves 4 | 25 mins
Ingredients
450g dried spaghetti
²/³ cup olive oil
1 large bunch asparagus, trimmed, and thinly sliced on a diagonal
4 garlic cloves, smashed
½ tsp chili flakes (optional)
8 large basil leaves
2 lemons, halved
1 cup Parmesan, finely grated
Salt and pepper
Method
1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Reserve 1½ cups of the pasta cooking liquid, then drain.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large heavy pot over a medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the asparagus, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often for around 1 min. Next, add the garlic, lemon zest, and chili flakes. Cook, stirring, until fragrant (around 30 secs). Remove pot from heat and let sit until the pasta is done.
3. Add the pasta and basil to the pot with the asparagus mixture and return to a medium-high heat. Squeeze the juice from both lemons into the pot and add the Parmesan and 1 cup of the reserved pasta cooking liquid.
4. Cook, tossing vigorously and adding more pasta cooking liquid if needed, until the sauce is creamy, and the pasta is well coated (around 1 min). Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if needed. Remove and discard the garlic.
5. Divide the pasta among 4 serving bowls, and top with more parmesan, chili flakes and basil.