There’s a brief, restless stretch between winter and spring — that in-between moment where you’re not quite ready to let go of comfort food, but you’re already craving something fresher and lighter. This pasta was made for exactly that feeling. And yet, the dish is good anytime of year!
It marries the richness of a wintry pasta with the verdant vibrance of spring. It is built on the bones of a rich, cold-weather pasta: savory sausage, butter, and a glossy, silky sauce that coats every strand. But then spring shows up — bright asparagus, sweet frozen peas, a generous hit of lemon, and a full cup of basil that perfumes the whole dish. The result is something that feels simultaneously cozy and alive.
And despite how indulgent it tastes, the vegetables are actually the main event here. There’s more asparagus and peas than there is sausage or pasta — the sausage plays a supporting role, lending depth and richness without taking over. Think of it less as a meat pasta with vegetables, and more as a vegetable dish that happens to have pasta and sausage in it.
The shallot anchors the base with a gentle, slightly sweet bite, but this is a great recipe to riff on as the season progresses. Leeks, spring onions, or ramps all work beautifully in its place — coarsely chopped so they hold their own in the pan. Use whatever looks best at the market, and let the season lead.
We realized too late that we did not have any frozen peas on hand. Our substitute was frozen edamame, and we both agreed it was quite good as an alternate. Two changes we would make in the future is cut the pasta back to 12 ounces, and add some grated parmesan along with the water in Step 3.
Asparagus and Sausage Pasta
Ingredients
- Salt
- 1 lb. fusilli, or a similar style such as cavatappi
- 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lb. hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
- 2 large shallots, coarsely chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
- 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1½ cups frozen peas, not thawed
- 1 lemon
- 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 cup basil leaves, torn if large
- Pinch of red pepper flakes, optional
- Grated Parmesan, for serving
Directions
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 2 cups of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
- Meanwhile, in a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the sausage and cook, breaking into smaller pieces and stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the shallot and garlic and stir until fragrant and softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the asparagus and peas, season with salt, and stir until bright green and crisp-tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Use the moisture from the vegetables to scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Turn off the heat and finely grate the zest of half the lemon over the sausage and vegetables. Set aside until the pasta is ready.
- Add 1 cup pasta water, the pasta, and the butter to the Dutch oven. Set over medium and stir vigorously until the pasta is coated. Add more pasta water as needed until glossy.
- Off the heat, add the juice from half the lemon and stir to combine. Stir in the basil and red pepper flakes, if using, then taste for salt and lemon and season as desired. Top servings with Parmesan, if desired.
Adapted from a recipe by Ali Slagle for NYTimes Cooking
I love the peas in there, too!