Penne with asparagus, parsley and brown butter

This is a fast and fabulous dinner - keep your wits about you and you can be sitting down to eat it in under 30 minutes.

Ingredients

450 g	Penne pasta, dried (Main)
120 g	Butter (Main)
500 g	Asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into penne-sized lengths (Main)
1	Lemon, Freshly squeezed juice
1 handful	Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (Main)
1 block	Pecorino, for serving

Directions

1. Cook the penne in a large pot of boiling salted water until just al dente - about 11 minutes. Drain and reserve about ⅓ cup of the cooking water.
2. While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large, heavy frying pan. Add the asparagus and stir-fry until it turns bright green. Remove the asparagus and set aside. Keep the pan on the heat and let the butter continue to cook until it is golden brown and smells nutty.
3. Add the cooked penne to the pan, along with the asparagus, a splash or two of the pasta cooking water and a squeeze of lemon juice. Toss together over the heat until well combined. Divide between four warmed bowls and scatter over the parsley. Serve immediately and let everyone add grated pecorino to taste.

See more of Lucy's asparagus recipes

• Asparagus, egg and quinoa salad
• Asparagus with mustard creme fraiche