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Antipasto Mozzarella Sandwich with Lemony Basil Pesto.
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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
i like this recipe. I will try to make it
3 masalah seksual yang banyak diderita pria
Thank you! I hope this turns out amazing for you!
Just tried this for dinner and it is FABULOUS! It was such a good combination of flavors and the prosciutto gave it the perfect crunch. Yummy!
Thank you Dalila!
I love, love, love the Spicy Pesto, Asparagus, and Ricotta Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto! It is so delicious! It is a must try, especially if you like Ricotta Pasta 🙂
Thank you!
Made this tonight! So quick, easy and fresh. I have never made pesto before and it was so simple to make. Looking forward to leftovers at lunch tomorrow.
Thank you Christie!
Can’t wait to make this tonight with the fresh asparagus cut from my garden. If only I could grow prosciutto.
Haha right?! I hope you love this Cassie! Thank you!
I made this & it was delicious! I made mine with Zucchini & Cucumber as the noodles & had less basil pesto than what was called for. Only thing I would change the next time I make this dish is to use less ricotta cheese. It completely took over the whole dish & it was too creamy. I like to taste more vegetables than sauce in most dishes. Just needs tweaking to fit what we like in our home, but wow what a great recipe! All vegetables & even my Fiance approved!!
Thank you so much Sarah! I am so glad you liked this!
Thats smell good, yummyyyy!
Thank you!
Smells good. I’ll be making this soon!
Thank you Cara!
With asparagus on super-sale last week, I knew I needed to give this a try. So very easy; I had the pesto mix ready to go long before the water came to a boil. Wasn’t that spicy, but I may have had a mild jalapeno since their heat varies. I also had some extra fresh spinach that I stirred in to add some more green. Looking forward to this as leftovers this week.
I am so glad you loved this Rachel! Thank you so much!
Eating the leftovers for lunch now and I just HAD to comment! This recipe is so so good and ridiculously easy!! Once again HBH proves why it’s my go-to for new recipes
I am so glad you loved this Ale! Thank you so much!
just finished making (and consuming) this! was sure super easy and quick to make. I must say I don’t think I’ve ever quite had anything with these flavors before, it was delicious. I got extra prosciutto to crisp up for tomorrow’s leftovers. just a note about the pesto: since I was on a time budget, I used store bought pesto. classico makes a small jar of it. I personally find that brand to taste very concentrated.. I only used slightly over a half cup of it and it felt like the right amount. anyway.. thank you yet again! hubby, my 2 year old and i are all full and satisfied!!! 🙂
I am so glad you, your husband and your 2 year old loved this Kristen! Thank you so much! I hope you continue to enjoy other recipes as well!
I can say there is nothing better than this. This super easy dish can delight my friends and family. I can bet the taste would be toothsome. Thanks for sharing ingredients.
Thank you!
I can say there is nothing better than this. This super easy dish can delight my friends and family. I can bet the taste would be toothsome. Thanks for sharing ingredients.
Thank you!
Wonderful! It’s snowing here in Midwest ? So unusual for us! This turned my mood downside up 🙂 Found lemon pappardelle pasta at Trader Joe’s, really made this dish pop!!! Thank you for sharing! I’ve been trying to cook well for years and ever since I made the French Scallops from your cookbook I’ve been making one recipe after another. Every one a success! My family is so grateful, too!!! Cheers!
I am so glad you enjoyed this and other recipes Whitney! Thank you so much!
WOW! This was absolutely delicious! I made this as an appetizer for Easter & it was so easy and perfect. I wish I had made it for the main course. The lemony flavor added the perfect touch and I topped it with toasted pine nuts.
Eileen
Thank you so much Eileen!