Lemon Pasta with Asparagus

Long time no update! I started this post well over a year ago but never got around to finishing it.

This is one of our favorite go-to week night dishes. Seriously, we fix it (or some version of it) all the time. Even C loves it, which is always a plus. It's also super easy and quick. My mom made a version of it (the main difference was that it had goat cheese instead of cream, I think) the first night we were home from the hospital with Sallie Cate, and I wolfed it down like I hadn't eaten in 10 years. That recipe was just a little dry for me, so I prefer this one. It seems light, even though it has butter and heavy cream. :)

1 lb spaghetti noodles/linguine
1 lb asparagus
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup basil, finely chopped
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Cut the asparagus into 1/2 slices on the diagonal, or just break into 3 pieces. Steam or boil until done, about 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Bring 5 quarts salted water to a boil for pasta.

In a deep, 12" skillet, heat butter and cream over moderately low heat until butter is melted, and stir in zest, lemon juice and salt. Remove from skillet and keep sauce warm, covered.

Add pasta to boiling water and boil, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Ladle 1/4 cup pasta water into sauce and drain pasta.

Immediately add pasta and asparagus to sauce and cook over moderate heat, tossing, about 1 min or until heated through. Add basil as well as salt and pepper to taste and toss well.

Sprinkle pasta with a Parmesan cheese.

Ok, so I do not follow this exactly but it's pretty close. I have never added the basil b/c I hate buying herbs if I know I can't use them all before they go bad. If I grew them in my back yard and had them readily available, I'm sure I would add the basil. We also almost never add the Parmesan (I think maybe only once we did that). I never add the extra pasta water either. The sauce is plenty moist {ehh, sorry} for my taste but that might be because I sometimes add more then 3/4 cup of cream. If I buy the 8 oz cream then it all goes in. Again, I hate to waste. I also never measure the lemon zest or juice. That's usually based off how many lemons I have on hand. But trust me, this is yummy!

This recipe is from food.com and is listed as "The Best Lemon Asparagus Pasta" on there.