Fettuccine Alfredo with Asparagus

Pasta with asparagus is an excellent idea to make an extraordinary and fragrant dish with this tasty and versatile spring vegetable. Whether they are spaghetti, penne, fettuccine or other types of pasta, the first course with asparagus is a great classic that combines the simplicity of its ingredients with the extraordinary intensity of its taste. Let's start from the basic recipe before presenting delicious solutions such as those of the first courses with asparagus and bacon, asparagus and sausage or asparagus and speck, but there are also some variations with seafood. I prepare the recipe for pasta with asparagus as tradition dictates, a real delight for the palate and the eyes! The splash of vodka works as a flavor enhancer, adding a little jolt to the creamy sauce. Colorful and fragrant, it is the perfect dish to bring to the table at any time, excellent for a lunch or dinner with family or friends, a tasty solution for special occasions. Preparing it is very easy and fun, just follow the key steps and the result will be a success.

How wonderful to eat a good plate of fettuccine made entirely at home as our grandmothers did. Oh yes, because fettuccine with asparagus cream are homemade, pasta is an egg pasta and it takes very little time to prepare it, you can make fettuccine even without the pasta machine and asparagus sauce is just as fast and easy to prepare! 😉 You will thus have the satisfaction of you having made a dish also starting from pasta and you will leave your guests amazed. 🙂 Delicate, intense, rich and tasty, these are the main characteristics of fettuccine with asparagus cream. And now everyone gets to work! 😉

Ingredients

8 ounces uncooked fettuccine

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 pound fresh asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided

½ teaspoon black pepper, divided

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon vodka 

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese

¼ cup fat-free milk

1 ½ ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 6 tablespoons)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

Method

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain in a colander over a bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add asparagus, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; sauté 6 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove from heat. Add rind and juice; toss. Keep warm. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add vodka and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add cream cheese, stirring until smooth. Stir in milk, Parmesan cheese, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir in reserved pasta water, pasta, and asparagus; toss to coat noodles. Sprinkle with chives.