Sometimes the best place to get recipe inspiration is the farmers’ market. I love strolling around on a low-key weekend morning and checking out what produce is in season, coming up with potential recipe ideas, and picking up some goodies to experiment with.
San Diego area farmers’ market are a foodie’s paradise, because so much awesome produce is grown locally here – not to mention all of the amazing local purveyors around, including bread makers, nut butter producers, olive oil companies, bakeries… and the list goes on. Recently I got turned onto a local vegan crouton and cashew cheese company, and I’ve been sprinkling their products on everything!
Some farmers’ market goodies
A few weekends ago, I was walking around the Vista Farmers’ Market, and I kept seeing asparagus around. Since it’s starting to be in peak season and it’s one of my hubby’s favorite veggies, I came home with some asparagus to create a pasta dish… and today’s recipe is the result!
Did you know that asparagus contains more folic acid than any other veggie? Getting enough folic acid is important for a lot of reasons, including that it helps promote healthy cellular growth and regeneration. It’s also high in lots of other nutrients, including Vitamin A, C, K and manganese. In short, asparagus is a kick-ass veggie – Eat it friends!
Admittedly, I wasn’t a huge fan of asparagus up until a couple years ago when I started playing around with it more. I’ve found that I like it when it’s dressed up & in dishes with a lot going on – for instance, in risotto with portobello mushrooms, or pureed with other spring veggies in this delicious creamy spring soup.
And I happen to think that today’s recipe is another delicious example of how to eat asparagus!
Sometimes pasta gets a bad reputation, but I’m unabashedly a pasta lover. Â I echo what Sophia Lauren once said, “I’d much rather eat pasta and drink wine than be a size 0.”
What can I say, I grew up in New Jersey with an Italian family!
What I do believe in is moderation and making my pasta dishes on the lighter side so that they aren’t too calorically heavy. That’s why this pasta sauce is made with goat cheese, which is creamy in taste but lighter in calories, just a bit of olive oil, + lemon juice and zest to give it an awesome fresh flavor pop. It’s light but flavorful, and pairs so well with the sautéed asparagus.
About 2 cups of this pasta comes in just shy of 450 calories, which I think is the perfect portion size for my dinners…or if you’re like my husband, you’ll eat double that!
Lemon Goat Cheese Pasta with Asparagus
Ingredients
- 1 lb rotini or any other short shaped pasta
- 1 bunch of asparagus around 2 cups after it's trimmed
- 4 oz goat cheese
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- Zest from an entire lemon
- 2 1/2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/4 cup fresh basil
- 1/4 sweet onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/2 TSP fine sea salt divided
- 1/4 TSP ground pepper divided
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to directions.
- Meanwhile, wash and trim the asparagus, then cut into bite-sized pieces. Mince the garlic and onion. Roughly chop the basil and set aside.
- In a medium pan, heat 1/2 TBSP of the olive oil on medium/low heat. Sauté the garlic and onion until lightly browned.
- Add in the asparagus and pour in the 1/3 cup of water. Cover the pan with a lid and allow the asparagus to simmer until the veggies are tender and the water is soaked up - around 7 minutes. Season with 1/4 TSP sea salt and 1/8 TSP pepper.
- While the asparagus and pasta are cooking, whip up the lemon goat cheese sauce: Place the goat cheese, remaining 2 TBSP of olive oil, fresh basil, juice from 1/2 lemon, zest from 1/2 lemon, and remaining sea salt and pepper in a small food processor bowl. Pulse until it whips up into a creamy mixture.
- Once the pasta is cooked and drained, pour it back into the pot. Stir in the asparagus, and spoon the goat cheese mixture in. Stir with a wooden spoon until it's combined well. Add in more sea salt & pepper to taste if you wish. Top the pasta with the zest from the other 1/2 of the lemon.
- Serve immediately while it's warm!
Notes
Nutrition
Tell me… What’s your favorite springtime veggie? Asparagus – love it, hate it, or are you somewhere in between?
This recipe looks delicious. I eat asparagus often. I’m going to try making it soon!
Awesome, let me know how you like it! 🙂
I think I just bought some asparagus the other day. This recipe sounds perfect because I didn’t plan what to do with them! Just missing the cheese! maybe there’s a cauliflower recipe on here too that i can use for some of the other veggies i need to cook! =P
Wonderful, I hope that you tried out this recipe, Lynn!
Haha! I love pasta, too. Cold, hot, it doesn’t matter…send it my way! 🙂 So the flavors in this recipe are totally calling my name right now. It’s supposed to snow another (!!) 12″ today, and I’m kinda thinking I need some comfort food for dinner tonight. And the Spring always has me craving lemon…so lemon pasta sounds like a winner to me. I should head off to the store and grab some asparagus and crusty bread before the snow arrives!
I agree, I especially love lemon this time of year! Here’s to hoping that this was your last winter storm of the season! 😉
haha amen! I grew up in a jersey italian family as well and I definitely enjoy pasta! Asparagus juuuust started to make an appearance here (grabbed my first bunch this week) – I need to make this pasta!
Ah yes, you are my fellow Jersey girl blogger buddy! 🙂
Pasta is one of my great go-to meals when I’m hungry and short on time. The flavor combination here sounds delicious.
Same here! Thanks for stopping by Celeste.
omg this looks so good, for some reason I LOVE any pasta without tomato/red sauce so I can’t wait to try this one!!
Then THIS is a pasta dish for you, Nellie!