What's for Dinner?

The seasonal availability of asparagus is a very short window. DH doesn't even like asparagus, but tonight it was a hit! This dish is made with Grilled Chicken and Bow Tie Pasta. It's quick and easy, my kind of dinner.

Here is what you will need:

2 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite-size pieces

1 1/2 pounds asparagus, ends trimmed

1 pound bow tie pasta

1/4 cup butter

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup chicken stock

zest of one lemon

juice of one lemon

salt and pepper

fresh chopped parsley

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Here is how you do it:

In a large pot, bring six quarts of water to a boil. Add asparagus and cook to tender - crisp, about 2 1/2 minutes.

Take asparagus out of water and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking, set aside.

Return pot to stove and water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions in the asparagus water.

In a large skillet, set over low heat, combine butter, garlic, cream and chicken stock. Stir in salt, pepper, lemon zest, and juice. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add chicken, cheese and drained pasta.

Cut cooked asparagus into bite size pieces on a diagonal. Add asparagus and parsley to the pasta and toss all ingredients together.

Turn off heat and let pasta sit to allow the sauce to thicken and all ingredients to heat through.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with Parmesan cheese on the top.