Dinner Tonight
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[Photograph: Nick Kindelsperger]

About the author: Nick Kindelsperger is the editor of Serious Eats: Chicago. He loves tacos and spicy food. You can follow him as @nickdk on Twitter.

Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!

About This Recipe

Yield: Serves 4
Active time: 10 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon juice and 1 teaspoon zest from 1 lemon
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/3 pound fresh cheese curds (or mozzarella), broken into 1/2-inch pieces
  • Handful fresh mint, chopped
  • 1/2 pound fusilli (or other small shaped pasta)
  • 1 pound asparagus, tough ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1/4 pound thinly sliced prosciutto

Procedures

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Meanwhile, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a large bowl. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir in the cheese curds and mint. Set aside.

  2. Cook fusilli in boiling water to al dente according to directions on the packaging. With two minutes remaining, add asparagus pieces. Drain pasta and asparagus in a colander and immediately toss with the dressing. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

  3. Serve the pasta salad with prosciutto slices added on top.