Next Post
Antipasto Mozzarella Sandwich with Lemony Basil Pesto.
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
A bright, green-tangled bowl for busy nights…peppery pesto with a touch of jalapeño, tender asparagus, creamy ricotta, and shards of crispy prosciutto. It’s pantry-simple, fast, and big on springy flavor.
Toss the asparagus right in the pasta water, fold in pesto and ricotta, and finish with lemon. Every twirl is herby, delicious, and tastes healthy!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- One pot for pasta and asparagus, minimal cleanup.
- Creamy without a heavy sauce
- Balanced heat from jalapeño and crispy prosciutto for salty crunch.
Ingredient Notes
Pasta: Short cut or long cut works
Asparagus: Trim woody ends and aim for bite-size pieces so they blanch quickly and stay tender-crisp.
Pesto: Homemade or store-bought both work; note saltiness and oil content.
Jalapeño: Seed for milder heat
Ricotta: Whole-milk ricotta for a creamy texture
Prosciutto: Crisp in a dry skillet or on a sheet pan; add at the end so it stays crunchy.
Lemon: Zest and juice brighten the greens and balance richness.
Recipe Inspiration – Going for Quick and Easy
I have been dying to share this recipe with you guys all month long. I am really, really into super fast, use what you have on hand, recipes at the moment. Think pantry staple recipes with a touch of freshness from whatever greens are currently in your fridge. And that is where this pasta came into play.
The first try for this recipe wasn’t it.
So I went back to the drawing board, also known as my notebook, pondered a few things, reworked the recipe, and came out with this delicious bowl that’s packed with flavor, but still uses a very minimal ingredient list.
All you need for this pasta is some basil pesto (this is my favorite homemade pesto, bonus that it’s also loaded with kale), some jalapeño, asparagus, lots of lemon, lots of ricotta, and prosciutto. Nothing too fancy, but put it all together and you have something pretty delicious.
My trick to keep this quick cooking? Cooking the asparagus with the pasta. Adding the asparagus to the boiling pasta water, saves you not only time, but also leaves you with one less dirty dish to clean. Yes, please!
Once you have your pasta and asparagus cooked, it’s just a matter of tossing it all together and finishing the bowls off with crispy prosciutto, which in my opinion just makes everything better.
Blanch with the pasta: Drop asparagus into the boiling pasta water for the last minute or two; it’s done when it’s bright green and just tender.
Reserve pasta water: Add in small splashes until the pesto/ricotta coats noodles
Fold pesto and ricotta into hot, drained pasta off the burner to prevent the pesto from darkening and the ricotta from turning grainy.
Crisp prosciutto: Cook until frilly and deep pink; cool on a rack or paper towel so it stays snappy. Scatter over bowls right before serving.
Taste and adjust: Balance heat (jalapeño), acidity (lemon), and salt (prosciutto and pesto can be salty).
What also makes everything better?
A bowl of this pasta and rewatching The Parent Trap (the one with Lindsey Lohan) with the best little sister by my side.
Oh, and after the pasta, grabbing a couple Oreo’s…and a jar of peanut butter.
Wait, what?
Let me explain. Asher watched the Parent Trap for the first time over the weekend and she learned about dipping Oreos in peanut butter. YES. You guys know this scene, right? It’s my favorite, and if I was a kid and didn’t have a clue that Oreos are maybe not the best choice for a snack, I’d probably still be dipping them right into my peanut butter. The best.
Can I go back to being nine years old now, please?
Serious Question: did you (or do you?) dip your Oreos in peanut butter?
OK. And with that little story I am ending my rambles. Let’s do Wednesday night pasta with all the greens. YUM.
Can I cook the asparagus with the pasta?
Yes! Add it to the pot near the end so it blanches. Pull when it’s bright green and just tender so it stays crisp in the final dish.
How do I keep the ricotta creamy, not grainy?
Use whole-milk ricotta and fold it in off heat with splashes of pasta water. Stir until the sauce looks glossy and smooth.
Is store-bought pesto OK?
Absolutely. Taste for salt and oiliness, then adjust with lemon and pasta water so it coats the pasta lightly.
How do I keep the prosciutto crispy?
Crisp it separately and add at the very end. If it softens, re-warm in a dry skillet for a minute to bring back the crunch.
Spicy Pesto, Asparagus, and Ricotta Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto
Servings: 8 servings
Calories Per Serving: 349 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
- 1 pound long cut pasta
- 1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed and chopped
- 1 cup basil pesto, homemade or store bought
- 1 jalapeño, seeded, if desired, and chopped
- 3/4 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- kosher salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
- grated parmesan, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.2. Arrange the prosciutto in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and bake 8-10 minutes or until crisp. 3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and boil the pasta to al dente according to package directions. During the last 2-3 minutes of cooking, add the asparagus to the water. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and then drain.4. Toss the hot pasta and asparagus with the pesto, jalapeño, ricotta, lemon zest, juice, and enough of the pasta cooking water to create a sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper. 5. Divide the pasta among plates. Serve topped with crispy prosciutto, chives and parmesan. Enjoy!
And for real, the greens make this pasta healthy food. It’s true.
This post was originally published on March 28, 2018
This looks seriously delicious. I intend to make it Monday. However I made your homemade pesto for a pasta salad just now and it is the best pesto I have ever tasted. It is so good. Thank you.
I hope you love this Marcia! Thank you!
I don’t normally comment on recipes, but oh my, this is so delicious! I had leftovers for lunch and topped it with a poached egg. A match made in heaven!
Yum!! I am so glad you loved this Pamela! Thank you!!
Its very cute sist how many chocolate for this my daughter very want it
niceee . . .
Thank you!
Hi Tieghan! I made your spicy pesto, asparagus, and ricotta pasta with crispy prosciutto for dinner tonight.
It was like Spring on a plate! Easy and quick to prepare and the flavours were out of this world! I love your site.
Thank you!! I am so glad you loved this! I hope you have a great weekend!
This looks delicious but I will have to come with an alternative to the Ricotta cheese. I really don’t like it.
I hope you love this when you try it, Mark! Thanks!
I’ve loved all of the books in this series, but Gaslight was brilliant and the insight into Christian Poe and our heroine Raven Black pulled at my heartstrings, made me laugh aloud, shudder in acknowledgment and love the feck out of them!
Thank you so much!
I want to make this tomorrow night but am I crazy or is this missing a step?! What do I do with the prosciutto once it’s out of the oven?
The prosciutto is added at the end before serving. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
Hey Tieghan,
I love this pasta! I like that you added the asparagus to the pasta when cooking. Maybe this would be good with burrata or goat cheese? I’m excited for more asparagus recipes. 🙂
That’s nice that you and Asher saw the parent trap and I remember watching it in the car with my sister when we were young and she started doing the Oreo thing. I don’t eat Oreos but my step dad loves them with milk!
I hope you’re having a good week and I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s post!
Hi Kristin! I am so glad you like this recipe and hope you love it when you try it! Love the Oreo thing! Thank you!
Agreed, I would die without carbs! I just bought ricotta, so I’ll be making this soon!
Perfect! I hope you love this Christina!
This recipe is to die for! I completely get the need for easy and simple sometimes. The colors of this dish make it so appealing and the ingredients have got to make it so appetizing. Definitely want to try it. Thanks for posting.
Thank you Kristy! I hope you love this!
I missed this recipe today when I was looking for a quick & easy lunch…. you’re right, quick & easy is all we can handle right now 🙂 and this recipe shouts SPRING! I love it and can’t wait to try it out (I have asparagus on hands, so this needs to be on my plate ASAP) … thanks for sharing, what a lovely combo <3
Perfect! I hope you love this Kristina! Thank you!!
Definitely on the weekend try list with home made ricotta. I use the same method for cooking grape tomatoes, just drop them in the pot of water for less than a minute at the end.
Its the best! I hope you love this Terri! Thanks!
This sounds amazing and I am in love with the serving bowl! It’s beautiful 🙂 I love making quick “clear out your pantry” recipes too! It’s a great way to make sure you don’t have too much food waste too. I’m pretty much ready to eat anything with ricotta cheese in in it. And prosciutto. YUM.
Thank you Danielle!
OOPS, SOMEONE FORGOT THE PROSCIUTTO MAYBE.
Hi Jim! Its in the ingredients. Is that what you’re talking about? Thank you!
Oh lord this is so yummy!! I’m dying to get my hands on asparagus, but still have not found any really fresh looking…
Bummer! Well, when you do I hope you make this! Thanks Ruth!