This pasta gremolata is made with linguine dressed in a zesty mix of fresh parsley, garlic, lemon and olive oil. It's incredibly easy to make and bursting with bright, vibrant flavor!
- 8 ounces dried linguine pasta
- 1 large bunch flat leaf parsley
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1 pound fresh asparagus spears, trimmed, then cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces
- Black pepper, to taste
- Red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook it according to the package directions, until al dente. Reserve about a half cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain pasta into a colander when done. You can proceed to the next step of preparing the sauce while the pasta cooks.
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Finely chop the parsley, removing any large bits of stems. You should have about a half cup of chopped parsley when you're done chopping.
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Place the chopped parsley into a bowl, then add the garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and the salt. Stir the ingredients to combine them.
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Coat the bottom of a large skillet with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and place it over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the asparagus. Cook the asparagus pieces for 3 to 4 minutes, until they become tender-crisp and begin to brighten in color.
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Add the pasta to the skillet, along with a few splashes of the pasta cooking water — just enough to lubricate the pasta. Toss the pasta and asparagus to combine, and cook the mixture for a minute or two, just to reheat the pasta.
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Remove the skillet from heat and add the gremolata sauce. Toss everything to coat the pasta and asparagus with the sauce. Season the mixture with additional salt to taste, black pepper, and red pepper flakes, if desired.
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Serve.