Creamy Pasta with Asparagus and Sausage

I don't know where I've been recently... but I just realized tonight that I haven't made a nice complete dinner in a long time. This pasta dish completely hit the spot. I was inspired by this recipe, made a few alterations, and added the sausage when I walked by it in the store and thought, that'll do. The pasta was nice and creamy but not heavy like mac and cheese, the lemon and asparagus taste like spring, and the sausage rounded this dish out to be a complete meal. Yum!

Creamy Pasta with Asparagus and Sausage


1 lb spiral pasta
1 lb asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 lb sausage (whatever you like, I found an artichoke and garlic blend which was very tasty)
3 spoonfuls mascarpone cheese
3 spoonfuls ricotta cheese
a few generous glugs of olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste


Cut your asparagus and sausage while your salted pasta water is coming to a boil. Cook the pasta to package directions. Meanwhile sauté the sausage in a skillet. About three minutes before the pasta is to be done, add the asparagus to the boiling pasta and finish cooking. Reserve a few ladlefuls of the  pasta water, and drain the pasta. Dry out the pot and combine the oil, cheeses, and lemon juice in the pot. The residual heat will help loosen the cheeses. Add the pasta/asparagus back into the pot and toss until well coated. Spoon in some of the reserved pasta water as needed to get a nice creamy consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with the cooked sausage.