PASTA WITH CREAMY ASPARAGUS

Pasta With Creamy Asparagus image

Provided by Marian Burros

Categories dinner, weekday, pastas, main course, side dish

Time 30m

Yield 2 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

Ingredients

1 pound fresh asparagus
1 1/4 cups nonfat yogurt
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons cornstarch
8 ounces fresh fusilli or other short pasta
1 ounce Parmigiano Reggiano ( 1/3 cup coarsely grated)
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Steps:

Bring water to boil in covered pot for the pasta.
Wash the asparagus, then trim by breaking at the point where the tough, woody part of the stem meets the tender part. Cut into 1-inch pieces, and steam over hot water for 3 to 7 minutes.
Whisk the yogurt and sour cream with the mustard and the nutmeg, and blend a little of this mixture with the cornstarch to make a paste. Then, return cornstarch mixture to sour-cream yogurt.
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Drain pasta and asparagus, and combine with yogurt-sour cream mixture. Cook over medium heat until mixture is just heated through.
Coarsely grate cheese, and add to the pasta-asparagus mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 677, UnsaturatedFat 4 grams, Carbohydrate 111 grams, Fat 10 grams, Fiber 9 grams, Protein 36 grams, SaturatedFat 5 grams, Sodium 546 milligrams, Sugar 19 grams, TransFat 0 grams