This recipe is one of my personal favorites. Using milk instead of cream and cutting down on the Parmesan cheese makes a waistline-friendly alternative to alfredo sauce. I love lemon in just about anything, and together with the asparagus it makes for a light and refreshing pasta dish. The best part is how easy it is. You can do all of the other preparation in the time it takes to cook the pasta.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　12 ounces uncooked fettuccine

　　1 pound asparagus

　　1 lemon

　　1 egg

　　1 cup milk

　　2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

　　Salt and pepper

　　

Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the fettuccine. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 12 minutes, or until al dente. Drain the fettuccine in a colander.

　　

Step 2

Meanwhile, break the tough ends off the asparagus, discard, and cut the asparagus into 1-inch pieces. Place in a saucepan, add about 1/2 inch of water, and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until barely tender. (Alternatively, if you have a microwave, place the asparagus in a microwave-safe bowl. Add a few tablespoons of water, cover with plastic wrap or wax paper, and microwave on high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until barely tender.)

　　

Step 3

Finely grate 1 tablespoon of the lemon peel. Be careful to only grate the yellow part; the white pith underneath is bitter. Squeeze 2 tablespoons of juice from the lemon.

　　

Step 4

Whisk together the egg and milk in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, or until very warm. Don’t let it boil, or it will curdle. Remove from the heat, add the Parmesan cheese, asparagus, lemon zest, and lemon juice, and stir until combined. Add the fettuccine and toss until completely coated. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

　　

cooking 101

Step 5

When buying asparagus, look for firm spears with closed tips that are uniform in size, so all of the spears cook in the same amount of time. And contrary to popular belief, spears with a larger diameter are actually more tender than smaller ones.

　　College Vegetarian Cooking