Asparagus Ricotta Pasta With Almonds

By Christian Reynoso

Published May 23, 2023

Asparagus Ricotta Pasta With Almonds
Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist; Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
40 minutes
Rating
4(541)
Comments
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In this comforting pasta, fragrant herbs, spinach and crisp-tender asparagus offer the lightness of spring balanced by rich, garlicky, scallion-infused ricotta. For the creamiest sauce, look for ricotta without added stabilizers or gums, or try making it yourself. An almond crumble brightened with lemon zest adds a nutty crunch and makes each bite texturally diverse.  Spiral-shaped pastas have long nooks and crannies for the thickened sauce to cling to, but other short shapes of pasta like penne work well here, too.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 12ounces spiral or twisted pasta, such as cavatappi, strozzapreti or gemelli 
  • ⅓cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted 
  • 1tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 1tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic, about 5 large cloves 
  • 4tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 12ounces whole milk ricotta
  • Grated Parmesan (optional) 
  • 12medium thick asparagus spears (about 8 ounces), cut into ¼- to ½-inch pieces 
  • 6scallions, thinly sliced
  • 5ounces baby spinach
  • ¼cup chopped dill or tarragon
  • 2tablespoons lemon juice
  • Hot sauce, for serving (optional)  
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

626 calories; 26 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 79 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 22 grams protein; 742 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a large pot of water to a boil, season generously with salt and cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve 1½ cups pasta water, drain and set aside.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, in a small bowl, lightly crush the almonds by hand, then add the lemon zest, 1 teaspoon of the garlic and season with salt and black pepper. Toss to combine and set aside.

  3. Step 3

    In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-low and add the remaining 1 tablespoon garlic and cook, stirring occasionally until very aromatic, about 3 minutes. Stir in the ricotta and grated Parmesan, if using. Add ¾ cup pasta water and stir vigorously until smooth. Season with salt and black pepper.

  4. Step 4

    Stir in the asparagus and continue to cook, stirring often, until the asparagus is crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes, then stir in the scallions and pasta. For a looser sauce, add ¼ cup of the remaining pasta water at a time and stir vigorously until your desired consistency is reached.

  5. Step 5

    Stir in the spinach and dill to quickly wilt, then turn off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and more Parmesan, if using, to taste. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with the almond crumble sprinkled over the top, along with a few dashes of hot sauce, if you like.

Tip
  • The almond crumble can be made up to 5 days in advance. Store in the fridge and refresh over medium-low heat on the stove-top or at a low temperature in the oven

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Ratings

4 out of 5
541 user ratings
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Comments

Gabby

Lovely springtime pasta; I didn’t realize I ran out of scallions so instead used a red onion in the butter before adding the garlic and also added red chili flakes. I’m cooking for one, so halved the recipe but doubled the garlic. Don’t omit parm! Ramps and peas would also work really well in this.

Hannah B

Finally got around to making this, and with a few tweaks, it's a wonderful spring pasta dish. The gremolata (crumble) is essential - I recommend tossing in a big spoonful and mixing it in when you add the pasta to the sauce, and keeping some for topping.One time-saving cheat is to add the raw asparagus to the pasta during its last few minutes of cooking. It takes off the raw edge, and it can hang out in the strainer with the pasta until you're ready to mix everything with the sauce.

AF

This was just okay. I didn’t have any issues with the sauce breaking or being lumpy—I added the pasta water gradually and used a whisk—but it was pretty bland for how much effort it took. I’d rather make some of the other weeknight creamy pasta dishes from NYT that have a better effort to flavor ratio. The topping was nice. Definitely don’t omit the Parmesan. I wish I had added the spinach just before the pasta—it was too close to raw for my tastes, even after a lot of stirring.

Amy R

I almost decided not to make this recipe when I read the other comments. I went ahead increasing the seasonings and not overdoing the pasta water, and adding chili flakes to the ricotta mixture along with 1/4 cup of Parmesan. The recipe was well seasoned and delicious. I would make it again.

Erin

This was just ok for me. Something’s missing. Maybe start by browning some mushrooms in the pan and then build the rest of the sauce? Red chili flake to finish is definitely the way to go over hot sauce. I should’ve gone the Dutch oven route, because this really filled my saucepan.

Morning Glory

I thought this was way too rich to be a main course. I served the leftovers with chicken the next night.

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