Creamy Feta Asparagus Pasta

This fresh, no-cook sauce is as quick and easy as midweek past dinner gets! Here's a handy way of making a ridiculously quick vegetable pasta. First boil the vegetables with the pasta to save time (and pots). Drain and mix with a simple no-cook sauce that acts as a kind of dressing. Toss well and you're done. It's essentially a warm pasta salad of sorts, sometimes known as pasta con salsa fresca ('pasta with fresh sauce') - yes, it's a real thing! I've used asparagus for this dish along with Danish feta, which melts to form a lovely creamy and tangy sauce. Feel free to use other vegetables; whatever you have on hand - that's the Italian way!

Good

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Make sauce - Put the sauce ingredients in a jar and shake to combine. Do this while the pasta is cooking.

Step 2

Cooking pasta and asparagus - Bring a pot of water to the boil with the 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Add the pasta and cook according to the packet directions. Add the asparagus to the water for the last 2 minutes of cooking time.

Step 3

Pasta cooking water - Just before draining, scoop out 3 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water and add it to the sauce. Drain the pasta and asparagus in a colander but do not rinse.

Step 4

Finish and serve - Tip the hot cooked pasta and asparagus back into the same pot over medium-low heat. Add all the sauce and crumble in half the feta. Stir vigorously for 1 minute or until the feta is melted and coats the pasta. Pour the pasta into a serving bowl or divide between two bowls. Crumble the reserved feta over the top and dig in!