Asparagus Ricotta Pasta With Almonds

Name: Asparagus Ricotta Pasta With Almonds
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: Salt and black pepper; 12 ounces spiral or twisted pasta, such as cavatappi, strozzapreti or gemelli; 1/3 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted; 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest; 1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic, about 5 large cloves; 4 tablespoons unsalted butter; 12 ounces whole milk ricotta; Grated Parmesan (optional); 12 medium thick asparagus spears (about 8 ounces), cut into ¼- to ½-inch pieces; 6 scallions, thinly sliced; 5 ounces baby spinach; 1/4 cup chopped dill or tarragon; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; Hot sauce, for serving (optional)

By Christian Reynoso

Published May 23, 2023

Asparagus Ricotta Pasta With Almonds — Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist; Barrett Washburne.

Total Time: 40 minutes
Rating: 4(529)
Comments: Read comments

In this comforting pasta, fragrant herbs, spinach and crisp-tender asparagus offer the lightness of spring balanced by rich, garlicky, scallion-infused ricotta. For the creamiest sauce, look for ricotta without added stabilizers or gums, or try making it yourself. An almond crumble brightened with lemon zest adds a nutty crunch and makes each bite texturally diverse. Spiral-shaped pastas have long nooks and crannies for the thickened sauce to cling to, but other short shapes of pasta like penne work well here, too.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

Salt and black pepper
12ounces spiral or twisted pasta, such as cavatappi, strozzapreti or gemelli
⅓cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted
1tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic, about 5 large cloves
4tablespoons unsalted butter
12ounces whole milk ricotta
Grated Parmesan (optional)
12medium thick asparagus spears (about 8 ounces), cut into ¼- to ½-inch pieces
6scallions, thinly sliced
5ounces baby spinach
¼cup chopped dill or tarragon
2tablespoons lemon juice
Hot sauce, for serving (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, season generously with salt and cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve 1½ cups pasta water, drain and set aside.
Step 2
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, lightly crush the almonds by hand, then add the lemon zest, 1 teaspoon of the garlic and season with salt and black pepper. Toss to combine and set aside.
Step 3
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-low and add the remaining 1 tablespoon garlic and cook, stirring occasionally until very aromatic, about 3 minutes. Stir in the ricotta and grated Parmesan, if using. Add ¾ cup pasta water and stir vigorously until smooth. Season with salt and black pepper.
Step 4
Stir in the asparagus and continue to cook, stirring often, until the asparagus is crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes, then stir in the scallions and pasta. For a looser sauce, add ¼ cup of the remaining pasta water at a time and stir vigorously until your desired consistency is reached.
Step 5
Stir in the spinach and dill to quickly wilt, then turn off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and more Parmesan, if using, to taste. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with the almond crumble sprinkled over the top, along with a few dashes of hot sauce, if you like.

Tip

The almond crumble can be made up to 5 days in advance. Store in the fridge and refresh over medium-low heat on the stove-top or at a low temperature in the oven

Ratings

4 out of 5

529 user ratings

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Comments

Gabby2 years ago

Lovely springtime pasta; I didn’t realize I ran out of scallions so instead used a red onion in the butter before adding the garlic and also added red chili flakes. I’m cooking for one, so halved the recipe but doubled the garlic. Don’t omit parm! Ramps and peas would also work really well in this.

Hannah B2 years ago

Finally got around to making this, and with a few tweaks, it's a wonderful spring pasta dish. The gremolata (crumble) is essential - I recommend tossing in a big spoonful and mixing it in when you add the pasta to the sauce, and keeping some for topping.One time-saving cheat is to add the raw asparagus to the pasta during its last few minutes of cooking. It takes off the raw edge, and it can hang out in the strainer with the pasta until you're ready to mix everything with the sauce.

AF2 years ago

This was just okay. I didn’t have any issues with the sauce breaking or being lumpy—I added the pasta water gradually and used a whisk—but it was pretty bland for how much effort it took. I’d rather make some of the other weeknight creamy pasta dishes from NYT that have a better effort to flavor ratio. The topping was nice. Definitely don’t omit the Parmesan. I wish I had added the spinach just before the pasta—it was too close to raw for my tastes, even after a lot of stirring.

Ann Arbor Pioneer Woman2 weeks ago

Very tasty—much more so than some of the reviews I read. It also came together quickly, given that I had cooked pasta. The garlic, lemon zest, and almond crunch were nice additions. Thinking about why it was so good for some and bland for others, I think full-fat ricotta and adding good-quality Parmesan were essential. Don't skimp on the butter, garlic, and lemon juice. I used dried dill and frozen spinach -- both excellent choices. Finally, I added red pepper flakes and Calabrian chili.

Cathy I1 month ago

Delicate but not boring. I used frozen spinach, squeezed out and added with the ricotta.

Terrible!1 month ago

"Sauce" was immediately broken. Flavor was ok but texture was awful. Ended up with bare pasta surrounded with asparagus and chunks of melted cheese and water.

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