Pasta with Asparagus, Lemon and Goat Cheese

Sorry today’s post is up a little later than usual. This day has sort of gotten away from me. Do you ever have days like that? You’re just going along, doing your thing, and suddenly you look down and six hours have gone by.

Anyway, I loved the pasta dish I’m sharing with you today. However, I was the only one in our house who really enjoyed it. Joe isn’t a big fan of lemon in savory dishes, and apparently Andrew is following in his footsteps, because although this dish is full of things he typically loves (pasta, asparagus, and goat cheese), he took one bite and didn’t want anymore. And honestly, I was okay with that, because it just left more for me! Did I mention I loved this pasta?

I made some changes to this recipe, the most notable being that I roasted the asparagus before I added it to the pasta. Pretty much any time a recipe calls for asparagus, you can bet I’m roasting it, no matter what the recipe says. I just love the nutty, rich flavor that roasting the asparagus brings out. My adapted version of the recipe is below.

This pasta dish is light and refreshing and tastes like spring. And it was so quick, too, which made it the perfect meal for a weeknight. Those boys don't know what they were missing.

Pasta with Asparagus, Lemon and Goat Cheese
source: adapted from Epicurious

1 pound penne pasta
1 pound slender asparagus spears, trimmed, cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon melted butter
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
1 5- to 5 1/2-ounce log soft fresh goat cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange asparagus spears in a single layer on a baking sheet. Combine olive oil and butter and pour over asparagus. Season liberally with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Roast, tossing as needed, for 15 minutes or until spears are browned and tender.

2. Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, stirring occasionally.

3. While pasta is cooking, in a large bowl, combine lemon peel and goat cheese. Stir until smooth.

4. Drain pasta, 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.