Spicy Pesto, Asparagus, and Ricotta Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto.

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.

And for real, the greens make this pasta healthy food. It’s true.