Main Course/ Pasta/ Recipes/ Seasonal Ingredients/ Seasonal Recipes/ Vegetarian

Asparagus Pasta

asparagus pasta-9517

I love fast and healthy pasta dishes! Especially when Adam works late and I’m on my own for dinner. I usually just end up taking whatever I have in the fridge and tossing it together with some pasta and cheese {of course}. It’s the perfect solo meal or light family meal during the week.

I’ve been getting so much yummy, fat asparagus in my CSA box lately! I’ve gotten in the habit of roasting it and serving it alongside whatever meat we’re having for dinner, but thought a nice, fresh asparagus pasta would be a great change of pace.

asparagus pasta-9506

I used whole wheat fusilli pasta {the little corkscrews}, garlic, asparagus and feta cheese to make this springtime dish. It might seem simple but it jam packs a TON of flavor! If you’re making an Easter ham this year and looking for sides, this pasta would be a great pick.

asparagus pasta-9493

I go in stages with how I feel about whole wheat pasta. In my mind, some things like macaroni & cheese and spaghetti with meat sauce should definitely be made with good old fashioned white flour pasta. You just don’t mess with perfection. However,Β  I really do love the chew the whole wheat pasta gives to this particular dish. It makes it taste healthy and wholesome.

asparagus pasta-9500

I hope y’all give this little ol’ pasta a try soon. I’m not kidding when I say it packs a ton of flavor. When asparagus aren’t in season anymore I’m going to try this with green beans from our garden.

Oh, and did I mention it only takes 15 minutes to make? Do iiiiiiiiiiiiit.

asparagus pasta-9525

Asparagus Pasta

serves 4

Print this Recipe!

Ingredients:

1 large bunch asparagus, sliced on a diagonal into 1″ pieces

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

heaping 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles

4 cups dry whole wheat fusilli pasta

1/3 cup cooking water (from pasta)

2 cloves garlic, minced

pinch of red pepper flakes

sea salt

lots of freshly ground black pepper

handful of fresh basil, chopped

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain and reserve 1/3 cup of cooking water. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. When hot, add the sliced asparagus. Saute for about 4 minutes, until bright green but still slightly crisp. Add minced garlic and saute for another 30 seconds until fragrant. Add hot cooked pasta, feta cheese, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Add a splash of the cooking water and stir well. If pasta looks dry you can add another splash but be careful not to go overboard.

Serve pasta in shallow bowls topped with more pepper and fresh basil.

Time:

15 minutes

You Might Also Like

  • Maryea {happy healthy mama}
    April 10, 2014 at 3:59 am

    Pasta and veggie dishes are go-to for me on busy nights. This looks like a great one.

  • Cara's Healthy Cravings
    April 10, 2014 at 4:04 am

    A perfect spring pasta indeed!
    I love folding asparagus into risotto…though risottos are definitely not a quick dinner to make πŸ˜‰ Still delicious though.

  • Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat
    April 10, 2014 at 4:33 am

    I love the simplicity of this, Jenna! I also love asparagus, and can’t wait for it to be in season here (ours stalks are still pretty skinny!) Gorgeous photos as always. You’re making me think about dinner and it’s only 7:30am!

  • Anne @ CandyCrazedrun.wordpress.com
    April 10, 2014 at 5:03 am

    Oh yum! The moment I see asparagus on sale, I am making this dish!

  • Danielle
    April 10, 2014 at 5:07 am

    How funny… I made myself almost the same dinner last night! That is, if you swap penne for rotini πŸ™‚ simple, seasonal, and delicious. I love spring.

  • Rebekah {aCricketSang}
    April 10, 2014 at 5:08 am

    This looks great!!

  • Jojo @ RunFastEatLots
    April 10, 2014 at 5:22 am

    That asparagus looks so fresh! I’ll look out for some asparagus next time I’m at the grocery store. I haven’t had it in forever πŸ˜›

  • Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar
    April 10, 2014 at 5:40 am

    I love easy meals like this so much, and I’m digging asparagus so hard right now. Love this recipe!

  • Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic
    April 10, 2014 at 5:53 am

    I love simple pasta meals like this! Great idea to pair feta and asparagus. I usually do goat cheese but I won’t say no to this!

  • Chicago Jogger
    April 10, 2014 at 6:17 am

    I LOVE asparagus in the spring, but haven’t picked any up yet. Awesome idea here πŸ™‚ I usually just roast it and serve it on the side, but this option sounds much better.

  • erin @hooleywithaz
    April 10, 2014 at 7:24 am

    mmm yum! i love veggie pasta bowls, and can even convince my husband to partake when he’s home (if i add some shrimp of course!).

  • Kelly Mitchem
    April 10, 2014 at 7:59 am

    This pasta looks delish! I bet it would be fantastic with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or some lemon zest over it!

  • Becky@TheSavedRunner
    April 10, 2014 at 8:14 am

    I love asparagus, and I love quick, easy meals. This is two wins for me. πŸ™‚

  • Angel Reyes
    April 10, 2014 at 8:14 am

    I love the simplicity! My local market has had asparagus on sale often during the last month or so, and I’ve also tried using asparagus as often. Nothing beats fresh, seasonal produce!

  • joelle @ on a pink typewriter
    April 10, 2014 at 8:23 am

    Yum! This may be a perfect meal for tomorrow night – thanks!

  • jodi
    April 10, 2014 at 9:00 am

    sounds delicious! i make a dish like this quite frequently but with parmesan instead of feta. can’t wait to try it with feta!

  • Laura@SneakersandSpatulas
    April 10, 2014 at 9:12 am

    I make a pasta dish with asparagus, tomatoes and chickpeas…delicious!

  • Julianna @ Julianna Bananna
    April 10, 2014 at 10:55 am

    yum! this looks delicious – love me some asparagus πŸ™‚

  • Averie @ Averie Cooks
    April 10, 2014 at 11:12 am

    I love asparagus and yours is so pretty! Love that you kept this dish veggie! pinned

  • Felicia Soper
    April 10, 2014 at 12:23 pm

    This looks GREAT!! I actually have some asparagus in my fridge I’ve been wondering what to do with it. I know what I’m making for dinner tonight!

  • Emily @ Life on Food
    April 10, 2014 at 12:34 pm

    Oh this looks great. Asparagus is my favorite spring veggie!! We are just starting to get the local stuff.

  • Stefanie
    April 10, 2014 at 12:45 pm

    Thank you so much for coming up with easy recipes like this one! I just bought some asparagus and already have some fusilli in my pantry. This will be a great meal to make tomorrow night as I carb load for a 10k on Saturday.

  • Michelle @ A Healthy Mrs
    April 10, 2014 at 2:24 pm

    I often make a very similar dish with broccoli — I’ll have to swap it out for asparagus next time!

  • Bryony @ Bryony Cooks
    April 10, 2014 at 3:50 pm

    I throw dishes like this together all the time. Veggies, pasta and cheese are the perfect combination. This looks delicious!

  • Coty and Mariah@quirksandtwists
    April 10, 2014 at 6:07 pm

    Love how simple this is! Cannot wait to make!

  • valerie
    April 13, 2014 at 11:54 am

    i mad a half-recipe of this last night (although i was out of basil, so i had to leave that out) but it was so good i was upset i didn’t have leftovers or seconds. i would make this again in an instant. so good.

  • Workout week in review and don’t run with your bike helmet on | The Hesitant Triathlete
    April 13, 2014 at 9:20 pm

    […] Such a random bike course. We did it 2x. Ug. I feel very sorry for the people who have to race the UCD Sprint Tri in two weeks. Hopefully I will not be one of them… I finished off the day with a lovely yoga sesh and then some (okay a lot…) of asapargus and feta pasta. […]

  • WIAW // Unplanned Meals | So Many Random Things
    April 16, 2014 at 9:41 am

    […] I left to go grocery shopping I saw a recipe on the Eat, Live, Run blog for asparagus pasta and it sounded good to me! So, that’s what I made for […]

  • Arianna @ So Many Random Things
    April 16, 2014 at 1:36 pm

    After catching up on posts and seeing this yesterday I made it last night and it was super tasty! I was able to put it in as part of my What I Ate Wednesday post today and link it back to your blog πŸ™‚ Thanks for sharing a delicious and easy meal!

  • Asparagus--My Favorite Ways to Enjoy This Seasonal Gem
    April 23, 2014 at 5:49 pm

    […] Asparagus PastaΒ {Eat, Live, Run} […]

  • Lauren
    May 3, 2014 at 6:16 pm

    YUM! This dish was so light and flavorful – a definite new go-to! Perfect for spring and summer!