PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS, ARUGULA AND RICOTTA

Pasta With Asparagus, Arugula and Ricotta image

This recipe works best if you use thin asparagus and peppery wild arugula, available at some farmers' markets.

Provided by Martha Rose Shulman

Time 15m

Yield Serves four

Number Of Ingredients 8

Ingredients

3/4 pound thin asparagus, woody ends snapped off, cut into 1-inch lengths
Salt
3/4 pound penne, fusilli or bow-tie pasta
1/2 cup fresh ricotta
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
A generous handful of baby arugula or wild arugula leaves, rinsed and spun dry (about 1 ounce, or 1 cup tightly packed)
Freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Steps:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add a generous amount of salt. Add the asparagus. Cook pencil-thin asparagus for two minutes, three to four minutes if stems are medium-thick. Transfer to a bowl of ice-cold water. Drain and set aside.
Place the ricotta in a large pasta bowl.
Bring the water back to a boil, and add the pasta. Cook al dente, following the directions for timing on the package but checking a minute before the suggested cooking time. Stir 1/3 cup of the pasta cooking water into the ricotta. Drain the pasta and toss at once with the olive oil and ricotta, the arugula, asparagus and Parmesan. Serve hot.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 485, UnsaturatedFat 8 grams, Carbohydrate 69 grams, Fat 15 grams, Fiber 5 grams, Protein 20 grams, SaturatedFat 5 grams, Sodium 513 milligrams, Sugar 4 grams