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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
Made this recipe tonight. It was so delicious and really quick and easy to make. All the flavours came out beautifully together. I will definitely be making it on a regular basis. I highly recommend it! ☺️
Hey Erna,
Thank you so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! Love to hear that it was a hit! xT
I made this recipe today for lunch and thoroughly enjoyed it. I cut the recipe in half as it’s just me but more for tomorrow! Thank you for this easy yet refined and yummy recipe.
Hey Liz,
Love it!!🍪🍦 I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it and sharing your review!! xx
This is a great clean out the fridge recipe. I subbed a little crushed red pepper for the jalapeño and it worked fine.
Hey Anne,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for your comment and making this recipe. So glad it hear it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Where did you buy that beautiful plate?
Hi Melanie,
So sorry, I don’t have a link, I found the plate at a vintage shop. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
The link to the pesto recipe is broken. Please relink. Thank you!
Hey Andrea,
It’s not broken:
http://l.thrv.me/HBH2942-kitchen-love-basil-pesto-sauce
My homemade pesto recipe is in the HBH cookbook. I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
This was good! My husband doesn’t even like jalapenos or lemon and said this had incredible balance!
Glad we tried it!
Hey Kera,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xTieghan
We loved this! Once again, I already had everything in my pantry as I’d made your grilled peach and balsamic chicken salad at the weekend. I used the rest of the burrata in the pasta instead of ricotta and added some of the leftover chicken, as my husband feels any meal without meat is a waste of time. 🙂
Hey Lesley,
I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! ?xTieghan
Just made it and added some Sous vide plain boneless chicken to stretch it for leftovers.
Also added two shallots in olive oil with the jalapeños instead of chives. Definitely think I could up the lemon juice next time to balance out the pesto and make it taste a little more springtime fresh!!
My favorite pasta to use for more of your dishes is Colavita brand long fusilli! It is perfect texture abs holds the flavors.
Hey Janelle,
I am absolutely delighted that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks for making it! Have the best week☀️ xTieghan
Well as usual you knocked it out of the park.
We love this recipe! I did change it up a bit and used 1/2 cup fresh basil to 1/2 cup garden pesto. I added 1 cup fresh peas and 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts and some chopped parsley. We always can count on you for a delicious dinner.
Hey Christine,
I am absolutely delighted that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks for making it! Have the best week☀️ xTieghan
I am dairy free so I opted out of using ricotta and it was still great !
Hey Angie,
Thanks a lot for giving the recipe a go, I am so delighted that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
Looks amazing! How do you think I should adjust the recipe if I want to cut the asparagus into ribbons? Also what would be the best pasta to use?
Hi Madeline,
I would keep everything the same and I like to use a long cut pasta. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I only started following your blog recently and dug through the archives to see if your recipes were something I would make regularly. Every recipe I’ve tried has been wonderful, including this one ( the Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad with Mushrooms and Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette is also a big time favorite). Thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you Whit! xTieghan
Wow. This was exactly what I have been trying to look for in my searches for “perfect spring dinners.” I love cooking seasonally, and this was so very flavorful and felt so much fancier than the time requirement would indicate. I highly recommend trying this!!
Thank you so much Sarah! So glad you enjoyed it! xTieghan
This is sooo delicious. I love your dishes. I love your photography – I can tell it’s a HBH recipe right away and then I want to try it. I wouldn’t change a thing (and I change things a lot)
Thank you Peggy! xTieghan
I wonder if, instead of spaghetti, I used this same recipe to make risotto ?
Ooo yum! Let me know how it works for you! Thank you! xTieghan