Recipe: Rotini and Asparagus Tossed with Goat Cheese, Lemon, and Herbs

I came across a recipe for pasta with asparagus, goat cheese, and lemon a few months ago and took a look at it again this weekend. It called for only a handful of ingredients and just a few minutes of my time and it sounded like a delicious mix: perfect for a night at home on my own. The rich, tangy goat cheese, blended with lemon zest and seasonings, melts perfectly to coat the pasta and crispy asparagus—it's the perfect dish for a cool spring day or warm summer evening.

Not gonna lie...I totally forgot to use my nice solid white pasta bowl for the picture. Oh well.

Serves: 4-6
Prep. time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10-15 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 1 lb. rotini (or other short pasta —farfalle, gemelli, or penne would work well)
• 1 bunch of asparagus spears, washed, trimmed, and cut into 1-2 inch long pieces
• Approx. 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp. lemon zest
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• Approx. 5-8 oz. soft fresh goat cheese (by the log of cheese rather than crumbles for better melting)
• 1 tbsp. dried sage
• Garlic powder, to taste
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Parmesan cheese, if desired

Directions

Bring a medium pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the box instructions (approx. 7-10 minutes). During the last few minutes that the pasta is cooking, toss in the asparagus pieces so they cook too. In the meantime, add the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, goat cheese (pull it into pieces as you add it), sage, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to a large bowl and stir to combine. Once the pasta and asparagus have cooked, drain them, reserving about 1/4 cup of the pasta water, and toss the mixture in the bowl with the goat cheese mixture, adding the pasta water too. Toss until the goat cheese has even coated the pasta and asparagus. Serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, if desired.

This dish is fresh, creamy, and very flavorful. The goat cheese and lemon offer tangy flavors, while the salt and sage cut through the tang and create a deeper, richer flavor. To make this meal a little more well-rounded, served with grilled or seared chicken that's been seasoned with salt, pepper, and dried lemon peel.

Recipe: Rotini with Walnut Sauce

I started yesterday with a bowl of Kashi Heart-to-Heart cereal and a lemon bar and spent the afternoon up in the mountains with my best friend, lounging on a couch while watching The Patriot. At 4:00PM, still clad in pajamas, I headed home, my thoughts revolving around my rumbling tummy and the question of what to make for dinner. Since I had such a light breakfast and nothing else to eat that day, I felt I could get away with a more calorie-dense dinner, so I made a Giada De Laurentiis recipe (from her Everyday Pasta cookbook) that I'd pulled out to try earlier: Rotelli with Walnut Sauce. The meal was incredibly rich and creamy, so I paired it with a side salad of baby greens with a pomegranate vinaigrette and a glass of white wine. Perfect!

Serves: 4-6
Prep time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking time: 8-10 minutes (for the pasta), no cooking necessary for the sauce
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 1 pound rotelli, fusilli, or rotini (corkscrew pasta)
• 1.5 cups toasted walnuts (see instructions for toasting nuts below)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions
To toast the walnuts: Preheat oven to 350* F. Spread the walnuts out evenly on a baking sheet and toast in oven for 5 to 10 minutes, until fragrant and golden brown. Stir them a few times while toasting and watch closely to make sure they don't burn. 
Bring a large pot of slated water to a boil. Add the pasta until cooked al dente (about 8 to 10 minutes). Drain the pasta and reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water.
In the meantime, combine the toasted walnuts, butter, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Pulse to combine the ingredients, then, with the machine running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and stir in the Parmesan cheese, then the heavy cream.
When the pasta is done, stir in the walnut sauce and add a little bit of the reserved cooking water, then stir gently until the sauce completely coats the pasta. Sprinkle with parsley and a little Parmesan cheese and serve.

This dish is very decadent and incredibly filling, so you may want to halve the recipe or reserve some of the walnut sauce and use it later in the week. I recommend serving it with a salad or crisp vegetables to add some lightness to the meal.