Orecchiette with Lamb and Asparagus

Name: Orecchiette with Lamb and Asparagus
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: Kosher salt; 1 pound orecchiette pasta; 1/4 cup olive oil; 2 cloves garlic (smashed and peeled); 1 pound lamb sausage or sweet Italian sausage (casing removed); 1 cup frozen peas (thawed); 1 bunch asparagus (cut into 1/2-inch pieces); One 14-ounce can pomodorini cherry tomatoes, such as Corbara (drained); 2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese; 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Lamb is essential for any Italian Easter meal, so I used lamb sausage in this recipe! You can also replace with regular sweet Italian sausage if you have trouble finding the lamb variety.

Servings

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

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Ingredients

Kosher salt
1 pound orecchiette pasta

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1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic (smashed and peeled)
1 pound lamb sausage or sweet Italian sausage (casing removed)
1 cup frozen peas (thawed)
1 bunch asparagus (cut into 1/2-inch pieces)
One 14-ounce can pomodorini cherry tomatoes, such as Corbara (drained)

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2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Instructions

This recipe originally appeared on Giada Entertains: Easter Brunch.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season well with salt. Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than listed on the box, about 8 minutes. Drain well, reserving 1 cup pasta water.
Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the garlic and sweat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it apart with the back of a spoon, until cooked through and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the peas, asparagus and tomatoes and toss well to coat. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add 1/2 cup pasta water and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the pasta to the sauce and sprinkle 1 1/2 cups Parmesan on the bare pasta. Toss it with the sauce, adding the remaining 1/2 cup pasta water as needed to create a light tomato sauce. Stir in the thyme. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.