Steamed or boiled inside? Grilled on the barbecue outside? Sure, it tastes great prepared either of those ways and can be a nice addition to frittata, too. But aren’t there a few more ways to enjoy this delightful vegetable?

There are and we found several of them at the California Grown website. We liked the following recipe. It’s simple (just be careful not to burn the cream/milk/cheese segment). We suggest you serve a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio with your asparagus pasta.

Creamy Asparagus Lemon Pasta

Ingredients

• 2 lb. asparagus
• 1 lb. dried pasta, like Bucatini
• 1 t. olive oil
• 2 t. butter
• 1 8oz. package cream cheese
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 2 c. milk
• 8 oz. shredded parmesan
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1/2 t. crushed red pepper
• Salt and pepper
• Parsley for topping

Directions

1.            Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the asparagus in a shallow baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Place in preheated oven and roast for 20 minutes. Chop the spears into four equal pieces.

2.            While the asparagus is cooking, cook your pasta according to package directions.

3.            Place the butter, cream cheese, cream, milk and parmesan in a large, heavy saucepan and heat slowly to a low boil, stirring frequently. Once sauce is smooth, add lemon juice, zest and red pepper flakes. Simmer for a few minutes until the sauce thickens and becomes silky. Add a dash of black pepper.

4.            Remove from heat and add the pasta and asparagus to the sauce and stir well to combine.

5.            Serve and top with fresh, minced parsley.