Lemon Asparagus Pasta
One of my absolute favorites! Makes good left-overs.
Ingredients
1 bunch of asparagus
3 medium lemons
3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
box of bow-tie pasta
2 1/2 cups milk (2%)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flower
bag of shredded Parmesan & Romano cheese
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Wash and chop the asparagus into ~thirds. Thinly slice two of the lemons.
3. Put asparagus on a baking sheet and toss with 1/2 Tbsp olive oil and a pinch each salt and pepper. Top with slices of lemon and bake for 20-25 minutes. Once finished cooking, remove from oven.
4. Get that pasta cooking - follow the instructions on the box.
5. Bring a large skillet to medium heat. Once hot, add 3 Tbsp olive oil and garlic. Whisk and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes or until garlic is just starting to brown.
6. Add 3 Tbsp flour and whisk. Cook for 1 minute for flour to get toasty.
7. Pour in a small amount of milk and mix with the flour & garlic to form a thick paste. Slowly alternate pouring in a bit of milk and mixing until all the milk is added. The paste will slowly turn into a sauce Add a healthy pinch salt & pepper and mix. Slightly lower heat and continue cooking to thicken, stirring frequently. It isn't good to let the sauce bubble/boil - lower the temp and/or keep stirring.
8. Stir in shredded cheese a handful at a time, making sure that each batch gets a chance to melt properly.
9. Once your sauce has reached desired thickness, add the juice of half a lemon and stir. Taste, and adjust salt and/or lemon levels accordingly. A good lemon-level is when you can slightly taste a lemony tang - more will be added with the asparagus.
10. Once the sauce, pasta, and asparagus are each done, mix them all together in the skillet. Top with any left-over shredded cheese.
Enjoy!