Celebrate the last weeks of summer with this light and fresh pasta dish made with wholewheat spaghetti. The author says this recipe serves six, but it’s so good we recommend bigger main-course servings for four ravenous diners.
Serves: 6
Prep time: 10–12 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- 500g wholewheat spaghetti
- 2 bunches asparagus
- 300g fresh peas
- 2 lemons
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 250g ricotta cheese
- 50g grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 bunch chopped fresh mint
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
Method:
- Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions. Drain the pasta and reserve ½ cup of the cooking water for later use.
- While the pasta cooks, remove the woody ends of the asparagus and slice into strips or bite-sized pieces. Place the asparagus in a frying pan with 1 tbsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss the asparagus for a few minutes until it’s slightly softened and charred before adding in the peas and cooking for a further minute or so. Add ½ the juice of 1 lemon and mix in the chilli flakes.
- In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta with the juice of 1 lemon and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Add in the Parmesan cheese and a large handful of freshly chopped mint.
- When the pasta is ready, empty into a bowl with the vegetables and add in the ricotta mixture. Toss through the pasta to combine. Use a little of the reserved cooking water to loosen if necessary.
- Serve the pasta with an extra squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a final grating of Parmesan cheese.
For more recipes like this, like Foodie on Facebook and follow My Little Hong Kong Kitchen
