Asparagus penne pasta

Fresh asparagus, lemon, garlic, cream, and parmesan…a delicious combo that you can never go wrong with! One of my favourites is a lemony, garlicky, asparagus pasta with sundried tomatoes and basil leaves.

What you need for 4 servings:

• 250 g fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
• 350 gms penne pasta
• 4 sundried tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 200 ml light cream
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• Salt and pepper
• A handful of basil leaves, chopped
• 4 tbsps grated parmesan (can be substituted with fresh parmesan shavings)
• 8 small cubes of feta cheese (optional)

Put a large pot of water to a boil. Add asparagus to the boiling water, cook for 4 to 5 minutes and drain. Keep aside. Boil more water in the pot, adding a generous amount of salt. Boil the pasta in it for 11-13 minutes or according to package instructions.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Sautee the garlic and stir in the cream and simmer for 8 minutes. Turn off the flame, add the lemon juice and stir well.

Drain the pasta once it’s done and toss into the cream mixture. Sprinkle salt and pepper as per your taste. Mix well and then add the asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes and basil leaves to it.

Serve on plates and top with 1 tbsp parmesan on each plate. As an option, you can also place 2 cubes of feta on top.