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Recipes » dinner » Pasta with Asparagus and Goat Cheese

Pasta with Asparagus and Goat Cheese

By Kate Morgan Jackson

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Love asparagus? Love goat cheese? Love pasta? Got 15 minutes? Then this easy recipe for pasta with asparagus and goat cheese can be all yours for dinner tonight, full of springtime asparagus and creamy, dreamy goat cheese flavor!

pasta with asparagus and goat cheese

One of the things that I love about this recipe (besides the pasta and the goat cheese and the asparagus parts) is that it is a proud member of my Dinner In A Hurry category of recipes.

And by dinner in a hurry, I mean recipes that call for very few ingredients and that can be on your supper table in 15 or 20 minutes, but still tasting like you might have been slaving away in the kitchen all day.

And this one is in heavy rotation during the fabulousness that is Asparagus Season, when I am tossing gorgeous local asparagus in just about everything.

So, Can You Really Make Pasta With Asparagus And Goat Cheese In 15 Minutes? Really?

You can!  First, first get your hands on a bunch of asparagus.

It’s of course always in the supermarket, but if you have a local farm market nearby like we do, show them some love and go buy their asparagus (they might also be getting in some local strawberries, so double win if they are)!

asparagus tips

Snap the ends off and cut them into two inch pieces.

You also need some nice soft goat cheese.  Which gives me yet another chance to show you one of my favorite pictures I’ve ever taken…

goats

These are the goats at Hildene in Manchester Vermont, AND THEY ARE SMILING.  Maybe because the Hildene goat cheese is amazing.  I also love Vermont Creamery goat cheese, which you can probably find at your supermarket.  Bring it to room temperature and tear it into chunks.

Now round up some walnuts, some grainy mustard, some parsley and some pasta.  Pretty much any pasta will work with this recipe, but we like to use a long pasta like fettuccine or linguine.

Now here we go: drop the pasta in boiling water that you have heavily salted and 3 minutes before the pasta is done, drop in the asparagus so it can cook in the pasta water.

Before you drain it, scoop out a cup-full of that pasta water (more on that in a sec).  Drain the pasta/asparagus mixture and put it right back in the pot.

Now add the walnuts, goat cheese, mustard and parsley and drizzle in about a quarter of the pasta water.  Toss the whole thing around with your handy kitchen tongs, and keep drizzling in the pasta water until you have a nice light sauce.  And…you’re done!

pasta with asparagus and goat cheese

What Is The Deal With The Pasta Water?

Pasta water is magical stuff, and I automatically scoop out a cup whenever I am cooking pasta right before I drain it just in case, and here’s why.

As the pasta cooks, it is releasing flavorful starch into the water – that is why pasta water looks cloudy at the end.  And since you have liberally salted your pasta water (it should literally be like seawater) that pasta water has a lovely seasoning to it.

What that means is that whatever sauce you are making can be loosened up and made super silky by drizzling in just a little of that starchy, salty, magical pasta water.

And if you don’t have a sauce, toss your cooked pasta with some butter, grated parmesan and some pasta water and you will be walking directly into pasta heaven.

And with that, here’s the recipe for my beloved pasta with asparagus and goat cheese…happy asparagus season!  And if you have your own favorite asparagus recipe, tell me in the comments!

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pasta with asparagus and goat cheese sauce

Pasta with Asparagus and Goat Cheese


★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Kate Morgan Jackson
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Diet: Vegetarian
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Description

This easy recipe for pasta with asparagus and goat cheese comes together quickly for a delicious supper full of rich springtime flavor.


Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup walnuts
  • 8 ounces pasta (any kind will work, but we love fettuccine for this one!)
  • 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
  • 4 ounces goat cheese, room temperature and cut into pieces.
  • 2 tablespoons grainy mustard
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions in heavily salted water.  Add the chopped asparagus 3 minutes before the pasta is done, and scoop out a cup of the pasta water before you drain everything.
  2. Return the drained pasta and asparagus to the pot.  Add the walnuts, goat cheese, mustard and parsley and drizzle in about 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water.  Toss with tongs until everything is well mixed and the goat cheese is melty.
  3. Keep drizzling in the pasta water until you have a nice light sauce, then divide among warmed plates and serve!

Notes

Need to add something to your kitchen equipment to make this recipe? Below are some of the items we used in the Framed Cooks kitchen to help cook this up. These are affiliate links to things we use and love, which helps to pay for all that bacon I keep buying (without any extra cost to you)!  Thanks for using them to keep our kitchen cooking…xoxo!

Equipment

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4002.9 g219.2 mg16.5 g4.9 g0 g46.9 g4.5 g18.1 g13.1 mg

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Updated and made more delicious from a previously published Framed Cooks post!

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Kate Morgan Jackson

Hi there!  I’m Kate, and I’m a recipe writer, food photographer and devoted bacon lover.  I started Framed Cooks in 2009, and my mission is to create and share family-friendly recipes that make cooking both easy and fun…yes, I said FUN!  My kitchen is my happy place, and I want yours to be that place too.  And if you make this recipe, I would love you to tag @FramedCooks on Instagram so I can see the deliciousness!as seen in logos

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Published on May 16, 2019

Good for: Dinner In A Hurry, Dinner Party, Easter, Mother's Day

Last Post:
Slow Cooker Butter Chicken
Next Post:
Brown Butter Pasta with Egg

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Comments

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  1. Liz says

    June 10, 2021 at 10:14 pm

    So good! And so easy to make!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Kate Morgan Jackson says

      June 11, 2021 at 10:54 am

      Thank you so much! I am making it again next week because I have a hunk of goat cheese in my fridge just dying to be made into supper. :) :)

      Reply

Hi, I’m Kate! I’m a recipe writer, food photographer and devoted bacon lover. I’m so glad you’re here!

If you want to know more….

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