Protein Lemon Asparagus Pasta

Serves: 5

Time: …less than 30 min

Ingredients:

• 450 g pasta (used farfalle)
• Olive Oil (prob about 2 tbsp)
• 2 tbsp Butter
• 350 g asparagus (one bunch)
• 6 cloves garlic or 2 tbsp chopped garlic from jar
• 1 can cannellini beans & brine
• 3 tbsp Parmesan Cheese
• 1/4 lemon zest
• 3/4 lemon, juiced
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp capers
• salt to taste
• 4 oz mascarpone
• 1 tsp chili powder
• handful of basil leaves

Prep:

1. Wash and cut asparagus diagonally in ~2in pieces.
2. Chop garlic if using fresh
3. Grate parmesan cheese
4. Zest 1/4 of your lemon, then slice to prep for juicing.
5. Roll, then julienne basil leaves.

Cook the Pasta:

1. Boil water (either in your tea kettle or on the stove).
2. Salt the boiling water and add the pasta.
3. Cook per package instructions or al-dente.
4. Save pasta water. (I do this by just leaving the pasta in the pot and using a slotted spoon to take the pasta from this pot to the final pot to mix it all together. The slotted spoon will allow a lot but not all of the water out.)

Cook the Asparagus:

1. Turn your pan on medium heat and add the olive oil and butter.
2. Once the butter is melted, add your chopped asparagus.
3. Add salt.
4. Cook, stirring occassionally, for 5 minutes.
5. Add the garlic.
6. Continue to cook until asparagus is just a touch firmer than you normally enjoy.

Make the Sauce:

1. In your blender (or food processor) add the cannellini beans & brine, parmesan, lemon zest, lemon juice, pepper, and capers (leave out salt for now).
2. Blend.
3. Taste and add salt as desired. The texture will be gritty, that is the beans. The mascarpone will help with that.
4. Blend, repeat.

Add it all together

1. When the asparagus are just under-done, add the sauce from your blender, the mascarpone, and the chili powder.
2. Mix and allow to heat, continue mixing until mascarpone is dissolved. Maybe go up to medium-high heat for this.
3. Add the noodles using the slotted spoon technique, or add the noodles and as much pasta water as desired for sauce thickness.
4. Stir.

Finish and Serve:

1. Plate and top with basil.