Lemon Pesto Penne with Crispy Prosciutto and Asparagus

This Lemon Pesto Penne with Crispy Prosciutto and Asparagus comes together in about 20 minutes and is INCREDIBLY delicious! This could be the perfect Spring Time pasta!

I love a good pasta. The thing I love most is how versatile it is. You can create so many different dishes using simple ingredients. The possibilities are truly endless!

I actually prefer making pasta at home instead of when I go out to eat. I think most pasta dishes in restaurants are over priced and not worth the money.

I actually found a brand of Gluten Free pasta that I love and used for this dish called DeLallo. And no this is not sponsored in any way, I just truly love their pasta.

After trying tons of different Gluten Free pastas this wins hands down for me. It tastes the same as regular pasta and the noodles don’t stick together after cooking.

I made a simple Lemon Pesto to mix into the Penne. The flavors of the Lemon Pesto combined with the Crispy Prosciutto, and Asparagus… OMG! Truly a symphony of flavors in your mouth!

I hope you guys love this Lemon Pesto Penne with Crispy Prosciutto and Asparagus as much as we did! It’s:

• Easy to make
• Lemony
• Salty
• Savory
• and 100% Delizioso!

If you love this be sure to check out my other yummy pasta dishes below!

Easy Gnocchi Bolognese Bake

Butternut Squash Spaghetti with Fried Sage and Pancetta

White Wine Mussels with Pasta

Arugula Pesto Penne with Sautéed Zucchini

Calamarata with Bacon in a fresh Tomato Sauce

If you try this recipe let me know what you think! Leave a comment below, rate it, share it on social media, or take a picture and tag it tastefulventure on Instagram!

I LOVE seeing what you guys cook up. 🙂

Cheers!

Lemon Pesto Penne with Crispy Prosciutto and Asparagus

Print Recipe

• Author: Tastefulventure
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 6 mins
• Total Time: 21 mins
• Yield: 2 1x
• Category: Main Dish
• Cuisine: Italian, Gluten Free

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 6 oz Penne Pasta (I used DeLallo gluten free)
• 1 Tbs Salt (for the pasta water)
• 2 cups Italian Parsley
• 1/4 cup Cashews
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
• 1 clove Garlic
• 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
• 2 Tbs fresh Lemon Juice
• 1/4 cup EVOO
• 9 Asparagus stalks chopped, ends trimmed off
• 2 Tbs EVOO
• 4 slices Prosciutto
• 2 Tbs chopped Shallots
• 1 Tbs Lemon Zest
• 1/2 cup shredded Grana Padano

Instructions

1. Prepare the Lemon Pesto
2. In a food processor add Parsley, Cashews, Parmesan, Garlic, 1/2 tsp Salt, Lemon Juice, and 1/4 cup EVOO
3. Blend until smooth
4. Set pesto aside (this will make 1/2 cup of pesto but you will only need 1/4 cup for this recipe. You can store the rest in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.)
5. Fill a large pot half way with water and bring to a boil
6. Add 1 Tbs Salt to the water
7. Add Penne and cook as directed or until al dente
8. During the last 2 minutes of the pasta cooking add the Asparagus pieces to the water
9. Scoop about 1/4 cup of pasta water out and set aside
10. Drain pasta and Asparagus
11. In a large pan add 2 Tbs EVOO and heat over med heat
12. Add Prosciutto and cook 1-2 minutes until crispy, remove and place on a paper towel, break into bite size pieces
13. Add Shallots to pan and sauté 1 minute
14. Add Prosciutto, Penne, Asparagus, Lemon Zest, and 1/4 cup Lemon Pesto to the pan
15. Stir in a bit of pasta water to break up the pesto and create more of a sauce
16. Cook 1-2 minutes until blended
17. Add Grana Padano, stir and serve immediately
18. Enjoy!