Penne with Ricotta and Asparagus

Ingredients

• Salt
• 1 1/4 pound thick asparagus, woody ends trimmed
• 1 pound penne pasta
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and mashed
• 15 oz ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Nutmeg

Directions

1. Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil; the asparagus and pasta both use this same water. Stir in a couple teaspoons of salt, and set up an ice bath. Drop in the asparagus and cook it until tender with a little firmness left, about 4 minutes.
2. Lift the asparagus out with tongs and move it to the ice bath so it stops cooking. Slice the stalks on the diagonal into 1/8-inch pieces, keeping the tips whole. Return the water to a boil, then add the penne pasta.
3. While the penne cooks, take the mashed garlic and rub it around the inside of a large serving bowl, then throw the garlic away. Spoon in the ricotta, pour in the olive oil, and add 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water; stir everything together in the bowl.
4. When the pasta is done, drain it, saving some of the cooking water first. Transfer the penne to the bowl with the ricotta mixture, then gently fold in the asparagus and half of the Parmesan cheese.
5. Season it with salt, pepper, and several dashes of nutmeg, tasting as you go. If the sauce needs loosening, stir in some of the reserved pasta water. Put the remaining grated Parmesan cheese in a separate bowl for sprinkling.