Asparagus has been simply outstanding this year — just the right amount of sweetness and crunch.

What better way to highlight all this perfection than in a delicious and creamy pasta dish! I was inspired by Ina Garten’s lemon fusilli with arugula, asparagus certainly pairs well with lemon (and what doesn’t pair well with pasta) so why not!

For 4-6 (or 2 massive…) servings you will need:

1 bunch asparagus
1 lb farfalle (or other favorite shape)
2 lemons, zested and juiced
2 cups of cream
3 cloves of garlic, minced
Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Salt+pepper to taste

Put a large pot of salted and oiled water on the stove to boil.

In a medium saucepan, heat up 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add the minced garlic and cook for about a minute or so, then add the cream, lemon juice and lemon zest, 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until it thickens.

Snap the ends off of the asparagus and blanch for 90 seconds in the boiling water. Remove with tongs or a slotted spoon and plunge immediately into an ice bath to stop the cooking process.

I used the asparagus water to cook the pasta as well — according to the package.

Drain the pasta and toss into the lemon cream sauce. Off the heat, add a generous amount of parmesan cheese — 1/2 to 1 cup, as much as you like.

Cut the cooled asparagus into bite sized chunks, toss into the pasta and serve immediately!

What a lovely dish for summer dinner on the roof! Definitely pair with a crisp white wine and don’t be surprised if you polish off the entire bowl between two people…