Pasta with feta cheese and asparagus is a deceptively easy dish that has an incredible depth of flavors.
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π§Ύ Ingredients
Letβs first dissect the individual tastes and flavors of the ingredients:
- Feta Cheese - tangy, rich, slightly salty
- Asparagus - nutty, grassy, slightly sweet
- Olive Oil - certainly depends on the olive, I like mine grassy and peppery
- Garlic - warm and spicy, hard to describe, garlicky π
- Lemon - acidic, sharp, sour
- Thyme - grassy, woodsy, and floral
- Oregano - pungent and slightly bitter
- Parsley - clean, earthy (optional)
Just think about this for a moment. With a few ingredients and a simple recipe, we can take our taste buds on a dizzying flavor ride in less than 30 minutes.
Flavors are one of the many joys of cooking. Textures, different cuts, new ingredients, methods, etc, are other examples that keep it exciting and fresh. Iβm always blown away by how flavors of different ingredients interact with each other when brought together. Thatβs why if thereβs one mantra to follow in cooking, itβs: taste, taste, taste.
Is it feta cheese on pasta, or feta cheese with pasta, or feta cheese in pasta? I call it pasta with feta cheese and asparagus, herbs, and a hint of lemon.
π¬π· How and where to buy authentic Greek feta cheese
It can get a little overwhelming when it comes to buying feta cheese. There may be many different options available at your local grocery store. From Greek style to authentic Greek, from crumbled to blocks, made with cowβs milk, sheepβs milk, or even mixed with goatβs milk.
Greek-style feta cheese primarily uses cowβs milk. Itβs undoubtedly a great cheese to have on your cheeseboard, but if you want to achieve that tangy flavor in the sauce, authentic Greek feta cheese is the way to go.
Crumbled feta cheese might be a choice of convenience, but you also might end up with a drier experience.
So whatβs the best choice? Get a block of Greek feta cheese in brine. This cheese has the desired tanginess, is made from (mostly) sheepβs milk, and lasts for a couple months without drying out.
Ideally, the feta cheese you buy should be from Greece, made from at least 70% sheepβs milk (plus goat milk), and have a yellow/red PDO logo on the package. PDO stands for βprotected designation of origin,β a European government designation that guarantees youβre buying the real deal.
π’ How to buy, store, and prepare asparagus
By the way, whatβs the plural of asparagus? A bunch of asparagus? Asparagi?
Buying asparagus
Buy asparagus fresh. Stores mainly sell the green and violet-green variety. Look for bright colors and make sure the stems are firm. While thickness does not affect the taste of asparagus, they should all be roughly uniform in size so that they cook evenly.
Storing asparagus
Ideally, use asparagus on the day you bought it. Sometimes theyβre on sale, look great, and you canβt help yourself and buy too many bunches. Asparagus were once classified in the lily family of plants, but currently they are a family of their own. But you can still treat them like you would cut flowers to keep them fresh: trim the bottoms, place in a jar, in a little bit of water, lightly tent with a small plastic bag, and store in the refrigerator for up to 6 days.
Preparing asparagus
Rinse under cold water and let dry on a clean towel. Trim the woody ends. If the asparagus you bought are more than a ΒΌβ thick, I recommend using a vegetable peeler and peeling off the bottom third. Thick asparagus tend to become woody on the outside. This fibrous layer will affect the outcome of your dish. For most recipes, cut them diagonally into about 2β (fork-friendly) pieces. Put aside a couple of heads to use as a garnish when serving. They also taste delicious raw.
πΏ Should I use fresh or dried herbs?
I always believe that fresh herbs are more desirable, but sometimes you use what you have. Herbs like oregano, thyme, rosemary, lavender are perfect in dried form. Parsely, cilantro, and chives, on the other hand, I would recommend using them fresh.
So what if a recipe lists fresh herbs and all you have are dried herbs or vice versa? Easy, the ratio from fresh to dry herbs is 3:1. Dried herbs are often more potent than fresh herbs. Since there are three teaspoons in one tablespoon, this means the correct ratio is one tablespoon of fresh herbs to one teaspoon of dried herbs. If the recipe lists 1 tablespoon of fresh oregano, use 1 teaspoon of dried oregano. If you're feeling more confused than ever, send us an email! π€£
π₯ How to make this pasta dish
Things happen quickly in this feta pasta recipe. I recommend having all the ingredients out, measured, and ready to go.
Start with bringing a pot of water to a boil. Add enough salt to make it taste like the sea. Add the pasta, adjust the heat, and keep it at a rolling boil. Stir a couple of times after a few minutes. This will prevent the pasta from sticking together.
While your pasta is cooking, heat 2 tablespoon of your favorite extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the asparagus, ΒΌ teaspoon kosher salt, and ΒΌ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper. Stir occasionally.
Depending on the thickness of the asparagus spears, the amount of heat youβre using, and how soft you prefer your asparagus, this step takes between 5 to 10 minutes. My asparagus spears were on the thinner side and I like them βal dente,β so they were finished after just 5 minutes. Start tasting after about 5 minutes and youβll be able to tell when theyβre done to your liking.
A minute before the asparagus are done, add 1 tablespoon of chopped garlic, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, Β½ teaspoon lemon zest, and ΒΌ teaspoon red pepper flakes. Reduce the heat and give it a good stir before adding the feta cheese and the cooked pasta.
In the meantime, the pasta should be ready. Before draining the pasta, save about ΒΌ cup of pasta water. This liquid gold will be part of the sauce (together with the melted feta cheese).
β Tip: It happens to all of us. Weβre planning to use pasta water as part of the sauce, only to rush to drain the pasta and suddenlyβ¦. Yup, there goes the pasta water down the drain. Hereβs a neat trick for all of us not-so-perfect cooks: before you start cooking, place the pasta strainer or colander on top of a bowl in the sink. That way, when youβre ready to drain the pasta (and forgot to save the pasta water), the bowl will catch it for you. Done.
Add crumbled/chopped feta cheese into the pan, reduce heat to just warm enough to melt the cheese, and give it a couple of minutes.
Then, add the drained pasta and reserved pasta water. The melted cheese and pasta water will emulsify and - while occasionally gently stirring - coat the linguine in the goodness that your taste buds and dinner buddies will remember for a long time to come. Seriously, itβs that good.
Serve with a sprinkle of chopped parsley on top and enjoy!
Want to add another flavor? Open a bottle of Greek white wine. But thatβs easier said than done unless you live in Greece. Otherwise, a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand (Marlborough region) goes fantastic with this dish.
Looking for more delicious pasta dinners? Check out a few more of our recipes now:
- Homemade Spinach Ricotta Ravioli with Sage Butter Sauce
- Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo
- Baked Ziti with Ricotta and Italian Sausage
- Linguine with clams β Linguine alle Vongole
- Shrimp Scampi with Garlic and Lemon
- 4 Ingredient Cacio e Pepe
- One Pot Sausage Meatballs with Pasta
- Tomato Basil Mozzarella Pasta
Did you make this Pasta with Feta Cheese and Asparagus? Let us know in the comments below!
π Recipe
Pasta With Feta Cheese And Asparagus
Ingredients
- 8 ounces linguine (or spaghetti)
- Β½ pound asparagus, cleaned, trimmed, and cut into 2β pieces
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ΒΌ teaspoon kosher salt
- ΒΌ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Β½ teaspoon lemon zest
- ΒΌ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled or chopped
- ΒΌ cup reserved pasta water
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Start with bringing a pot of water to a boil. Add enough salt to make it taste like the sea.Β
- Add the pasta, adjust the heat, and keep it at a rolling boil. Stir a couple of times after a few minutes. This will prevent the pasta from sticking together.Β
- While your pasta is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of your favorite extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the asparagus, ΒΌ teaspoon kosher salt, and ΒΌ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper. Stir occasionally.Β
- Depending on the thickness of the asparagus spears, the amount of heat youβre using, and how soft you prefer your asparagus, this step takes between 5 to 10 minutes. My asparagus spears were on the thinner side and I like them βal dente,β so they were finished after just 5 minutes. Start tasting after about 5 minutes and youβll be able to tell when theyβre done to your liking.
- A minute before the asparagus are done, add 1 tablespoon of chopped garlic, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, Β½ teaspoon lemon zest, and ΒΌ teaspoon red pepper flakes. Reduce the heat and give it a good stir before adding the feta cheese and the cooked pasta.Β
- In the meantime, the pasta should be ready. Before draining the pasta, save about ΒΌ cup of pasta water. This will be part of the sauce (together with the melted feta cheese).
- Add crumbled/chopped feta cheese into the pan, reduce heat to just warm enough to melt the cheese, and give it a couple of minutes.
- Then, add the drained pasta and reserved pasta water.
- The melted cheese and pasta water will emulsify and β while occasionally gently stirring β coat the linguine.
- Serve with a sprinkle of chopped parsley on top and enjoy!
Notes
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Deb
This recipe was incredibly delicious! Thanks for sharing it.
maplewoodroad
Thanks so much Deb! We're so glad you enjoyed it! π
David
Thank you! This was super easy to make and so delicious! The feta and asparagus really compliment each other!
maplewoodroad
Thank you so much! So glad to hear you've enjoyed it! π