Lemony Asparagus Spaghetti

Here it is. The ultimate summer-time pasta. But, do you want to know the best part? You can have it anytime of the year and it will still taste like summer-time! I love pastas for many reasons. The obvious one is because they’re absolutely delicious and comforting. But I also love them because its an awesome way to get in good fiber and carb load. Fiber, carbs, comfort, tastiness- a recipe for happiness if you ask me.

So here it is! Start by gathering all your ingredients because this dish will be ready in no-time. I highly recommend using whole grain spaghetti. This is the key to getting the fiber our gut loves but it also adds to the flavor and compliments the lemon sauce quite well. I also use low fat cheeses to reduce some saturated fats.

Start by preparing your pasta as usual. Omit salt in your water unless you’re a “salty-sweater” athlete needing to up your electrolytes; in which case, salt that water like the sea my friend. As that pot is coming to a boil and your pasta is cooking, chop your asparagus and prepare the chicken. The chicken can be prepared however you like- cooked and shredded or sliced to the size you prefer. I personally like to slice the chicken. So, I will chop my chicken first and cook in a pan over medium heat with a bit of avocado or olive oil. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove and set aside. If you like it shredded, do that and set it aside. To save time, you could use a shredded rotisserie chicken. To the same pan add another tablespoon of oil and add the asparagus. Cook this until it’s tender, maybe around 5-10 min. Partly through cooking, when it’s getting softer but still not quite done, add the frozen peas and chicken to warm.

While the chicken and veggie mixture is cooking, start making your lemon sauce. To do this, add equal parts olive oil, grated parmesan cheese, and lemon juice to a large bowl. This bowl will also be your serving bowl so make sure its large enough to hold all the pasta. Wisk these ingredients together well and add 1 tablespoon of lemon zest. Salt this to taste. Drain the pasta and save 1 cup of the pasta water. Toss the pasta in with the sauce, coating it well. Add as much pasta water as needed to reach your desired consistency. Then dump in your chicken and veggie mixture and toss well. Last thing is to season this with pepper and dried or fresh basil.

And voila! Dinner is served in less than 30 min, which is always my dream. Garnish with parmesan cheese and lemon zest.

Enjoy!