Lemony Asparagus Pasta

This recipe was made for dinner because of two things -- I had fresh asparagus that needed to be used asap and because we had a ton of lemons! I used this fun spiral pasta we had on hand.

kosher salt

1 lb. Macaroni

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp. butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 red onion, diced

1 c. dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)

2 lemons

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 c. freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish

1/2 c. fresh chopped parsley, plus more for garnish

1. Bring an 8-quart stock pot of water to a boil and generously season with salt. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water, and return to pot.
2. Meanwhile, preheat grill pan over medium-high. In a large mixing bowl, drizzle olive oil over asparagus and season with salt and pepper. Grill asparagus 4 minutes on one side, then flip over and cook 2 minutes more. Transfer to board and cut into 1" pieces.
3. In a large skillet over medium-low heat, cook butter, garlic and onion until softened, about 2 minutes. Add white wine, zest of 1 lemon, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper; bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Turn off heat and mix in pasta water, asparagus, Parm, parsley and pasta until well coated. Garnish with additional cheese and parsley and serve with lemon wedges