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Ingredients

2 lemons 1 (16 ounce) box penne pasta 5 tablespoons butter, divided ¾ pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour ¾ cup heavy cream 1 ½ cups vegetable broth, or more to taste 4 sprigs fresh parsley, chopped 1 pinch white sugar, or to taste 2 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced ½ cup freshly shaved Parmesan cheese

Nutrition Info

810.8 calories carbohydrate: 103.8 g cholesterol: 108.1 mg fat: 37.2 g fiber: 10.5 g protein: 24.8 g saturatedFat: 21.8 g servingSize: - sodium: 512 mg sugar: 9 g transFat: : - unsaturatedFat: : -

Zest and juice 1 1/2 lemons. Cut remaining lemon half into wedges and set aside.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking water.
While penne is cooking, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a pot over medium heat and cook asparagus until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove from pot.
Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter and heat until a pinch of flour sprinkled into the pot will just begin to bubble. Whisk in flour to form a thick paste the consistency of cake frosting. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, for about 5 minutes. Whisk in cream and vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes.
Stir lemon juice, lemon zest, and parsley into the sauce, season with salt, pepper, and sugar. Add asparagus and heat through, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and penne to the sauce and pour in some of the reserved cooking water. Serve with shaved Parmesan and lemon wedges.

4 servings

A quick midweek vegetarian pasta dish with asparagus and a creamy lemon sauce. I always use organic lemons whenever I use the zest.