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Charred Asparagus and Goat Cheese Pasta with Lemon + New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc

A marriage of savory and tangy, toothsome and smooth. Goat cheese makes this pasta light but rich; charred asparagus adds a great savory flavor.

  • Prep Time: 0 hours
  • Cook Time: 0 hours
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 4 normal people or 2 really hungry ones 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound asparagus
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 23 lemons
  • 12 oz. dry bowtie or other pasta
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2/3 cup dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc
  • 3 tablespoons chopped basil or other fresh herb
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 oz. goat cheese, softened

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and cut the rest into 1-inch pieces; place on a baking sheet. Toss with olive oil, Cajun seasoning, and garlic powder. Cut the lemons in half and add to the baking sheet.
  2. Roast for 20-30 minutes, stirring once or so. (You want the asparagus to be nice and charred all over; that might take a bit longer based on how thick your asparagus stalks are.)
  3. While the asparagus is roasting, boil a large pot of salted water and cook the pasta to al dente. Drain and set aside.
  4. Meanwhile, melt the butter together with the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for about a minute. Add the wine and let simmer for about two minutes, just enough to cook off the alcohol.
  5. Turn off the heat and stir in the herbs, pepper, and goat cheese. Add salt and additional pepper to taste. You can also squeeze in a lemon half for extra tang.
  6. Toss the pasta and asparagus with the sauce. Serve with perfectly squeezable lemon halves on the side.

Notes

A riff on this awesome recipe from How Sweet Eats!