Author Notes
This quick pasta dish is perfect for a weeknight meal as bringing the elements together takes just a few minutes more than the pasta itself. You could certainly use bacon in place of the speck, but I prefer the crispiness and quick cooking time of the speck. —dailywaffle
Ingredients
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1/2 pound
whole wheat penne
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3 tablespoons
kosher salt
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1/4 pound
sugar snap peas
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6-8
asparagus spears, pencil thin
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6
slices of speck, diced
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1 tablespoon
olive oil
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1 cup
parmesan cheese, grated
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1
lemon, zested (reserve the lemon for drizzling each serving with juice)
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salt & pepper
Directions
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Prepare an ice bath in a medium bowl.
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Bring a large stock pot of water to a boil and add 3 T. salt. Add the asparagus and cook for 3-4 minutes until bright green and just tender. Blanch it in the ice bath. Cut asparagus into 2 in. pieces and set aside.
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Bring water back to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.
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While the pasta is cooking, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and speck and cook until crispy. Add the cooked pasta, sugar snap peas and asparagus to the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the peas are bright green, but still a little crunchy. Mix in the parmesan until the noodles are coated evenly. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the lemon zest. Taste and season with salt (and pepper, if desired).
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Drizzle each serving with a squeeze of lemon and more parm to taste.
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