Asparagus & Parmesan Pasta with a Fried Egg

Happy Monday! I’m *really* hoping you like eggs as much as I like eggs, because I’m not going to sugarcoat it: this week is all about the egg recipes. I didn’t plan on having an egg-themed week, but I guess I’ve been craving eggs at breakfast, lunch and dinner lately, so it just happened. Today we’ve got a pasta-with-an-egg-on-top situation, there’s an omelet tomorrow, and Thursday . . . well, something crazy is happening with an egg on Thursday. You’ll see.

When Door to Door Organics (DTDO) asked me to create a recipe inspired by the theme “Going Green for Earth Day,” I knew I wanted to create a pasta with lots of green elements. Step one was to order all of my ingredients from the DTDO website, and then sit back and wait for them to arrive on my doorstep. I encourage you to read my full review of the DTDO service, but quite simply, you sign up for a subscription with a produce box in the size of your choice. With that subscription, you get access to the DTDO store which carries hundreds and hundreds of organic grocery products, many locally made and grown.

I was able to order every single ingredient for this Asparagus & Parmesan Pasta with a Fried Egg from the online store. From there, it was just a matter of cooking up the strozzapreti pasta (penne works well here, too), then tossing it with sauteed leeks (green!), asparagus (green!), lemon juice (always and forever), fresh thyme (green!) local cream, lots of Parmesan cheese, and a pinch of red pepper flakes for spice. You could stop there, but come on. Put an egg on it. You know you want to.

Want to try Door to Door Organics yourself? Use the code FOXES at checkout to recieve $10 off your order (new customers only). Be sure to follow Door to Door Organics on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, with the hashtag #joydelivered. You can also find great recipes on their website.

Asparagus & Parmesan Pasta with a Fried Egg

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

• Kosher salt, for cooking pasta
• 8 ounces strozzapretti or penne pasta
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 large leek (white and light green parts only), thinly sliced
• 1 bunch asparagus, cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 4 eggs
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper, for seasoning eggs

Directions:

1. In large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain pasta and return to pot.
2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add leek and asparagus; cook 4 to 6 minutes or until asparagus is tender-crisp, stirring occasionally. Stir in thyme; cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
3. Add asparagus mixture to cooked pasta. Add cream, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and 1/4 cup reserved pasta cooking water. Toss to combine, then cover and keep warm over very low heat.
4. Wipe out large nonstick skillet and return to stovetop over medium-high heat. Place remaining 1 tablespoon oil in skillet, then crack in eggs. Season eggs with salt and pepper; cook 4 to 5 minutes or until whites are cooked through but yolks remain soft (or to your desired doneness).
5. Re-toss pasta; add additional reserved pasta cooking water if sauce has become too thick. Divide pasta between 4 pasta bowls and top each bowl with a fried egg.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Door to Door Organics. Sponsored posts help me pay for the costs associated with this blog (groceries…lots of groceries), and help support me as I pursue a career in recipe development and food photography. All opinions are 100% my own.