Food Recipes Asparagus Pasta Salad With Lemon 3.3 (418) 6 Reviews Cook the pasta and asparagus in one pot to reduce prep time. By Sara Quessenberry Sara Quessenberry Sara Quessenberry is a recipe developer, food stylist, and cookbook author with nearly two decades of experience in the culinary arts. She was a food stylist and recipe developer at Real Simple for five years. She's currently the food director at doitDelicious.com. Highlights: * Food director at doitDelicious.com * Collaborates with Jessica Seinfeld on recipes for her cookbooks and website * Wrote an award-winning cookbook, The Good Neighbor Cookbook Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 20, 2022 Print Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Dana Gallagher Hands On Time: 15 mins Total Time: 20 mins Yield: 4 serves Jump to Nutrition Facts Jump to recipe Some popular go-to recipes aren't super fancy, but they combine just the right mouthwatering flavors and become a weekly staple we start to crave. This penne pasta dish pairs the subtle bitter taste of asparagus with zingy lemon and rich nutty Parmesan. If the lemon flavor is overpowering, balance it with some fresh garlic or skip the lemon zest altogether (but keep the fresh lemon juice). Also, toss in some grilled chicken or shrimp to add more protein and make this a complete meal. Ingredients 8 ounces (1/2 box) penne 1 pound asparagus (ends trimmed), cut into 1-inch pieces ¼ cup Parmesan pieces (1 ounce) 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest kosher salt and black pepper Directions Cook the penne according to the package directions, adding the asparagus during the last 3 ½ minutes of cooking. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool. Transfer the penne and asparagus to a large bowl. Add the Parmesan, oil, lemon juice and zest, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and toss to combine. Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 315 Calories 10g Fat 44g Carbs 11g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Calories 315 % Daily Value * Total Fat 10g 13% Saturated Fat 2g 10% Cholesterol 5mg 2% Sodium 366mg 16% Total Carbohydrate 44g 16% Total Sugars 3g Protein 11g *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.