Pasta With Feta Cheese And Asparagus
Pasta with feta cheese and asparagus is a deceptively easy dish that has an incredible depth of flavors. With a few ingredients and a simple recipe, we can take our taste buds on a dizzying flavor ride in less than 30 minutes.
Servings: 2
Calories: 805kcal
Ingredients
- 8 ounces linguine (or spaghetti)
- ½ pound asparagus, cleaned, trimmed, and cut into 2” pieces
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled or chopped
- ¼ 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.
- 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 tablespoons of your favorite extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the asparagus, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper. Stir occasionally.
- Depending on the thickness of the asparagus spears, the amount of heat you’re 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 “al dente,” so they were finished after just 5 minutes. Start tasting after about 5 minutes and you’ll be able to tell when they’re 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, ½ teaspoon lemon zest, and ¼ 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 ¼ 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 – while occasionally gently stirring – coat the linguine.
- Serve with a sprinkle of chopped parsley on top and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Calories: 805kcal | Carbohydrates: 96g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 34g | Sodium: 1257mg | Potassium: 603mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1667IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 513mg