creamy lemon-dijon pasta with asparagus.

What do you do when you’ve got fresh produce and no protein, yet you want to make a balanced meal for dinner?

Easy. Enter pasta, your weeknight fix BFF.

I make pasta for dinner all the time. It’s so easy, so fast, and super-cheap. I rarely pay attention to what I pay for pasta, but the other day I happened to notice that the cost for Smart Taste (by Ronzoni) was $1. For a pound, which should equal 4 servings. Crazy, right?

This brings me to my next point, which is that this particular brand of pasta has a high protein and fiber content even though it tastes like white pasta. I do like whole wheat pasta, but I think it’s best in certain dishes where the other ingredients complement its nutty flavor. For everyday pasta, I like the flavor of Smart Taste.

{And Ronzoni isn’t paying me to say this, either}

Sometimes I keep it as simple as spaghetti with garlic and oil, and sometimes, when I’ve got some leftover produce in the fridge, I add that in. You can even do frozen veggies, and just add them to the boiling water as it cooks the pasta – just make sure to add for the last few minutes, or however long that particular veggie takes to cook.

This recipe is slightly more involved than garlic and oil – and so worth it. Some milk and a bit of flour, along with a nice amount of coarse ground dijon mustard and lemon, produces a flavorful, creamy yet low-fat sauce. It’s perfect with the asparagus, and the Parmesan topping at the end just adds that final dose of salty deliciousness.

What are you eating for dinner?

Creamy Lemon-Dijon Pasta with Asparagus

Adapted from Eating Well

• 8 ounces whole-wheat penne pasta {I use Smart Taste}
• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 4 teaspoons coarse ground dijon mustard
• 4 teaspoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh herbs {I used thyme, you could also use tarragon}
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 3 minutes less than the package directions. Add asparagus and continue cooking until the pasta and asparagus are just tender, 3 minutes more. Drain and return to the pot.

Meanwhile, whisk milk, mustard, flour, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant and lightly browned, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Whisk in the milk mixture. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, and cook until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in herbs, lemon zest and juice.

Stir the sauce into the pasta-asparagus mixture. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the sauce is thick, creamy and coats the pasta, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan. Divide the pasta among 4 bowls and top with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.

Makes 4 servings.