Spaghetti with Asparagus & Poached Egg

An easy weeknight meal with buttered pasta, tender asparagus, and a poached egg

My husband and I try and make it a priority to have dinner together every night after work, but I recently had a rare night alone and made this easy spaghetti dish. This is the kind of food that I love - carbs, vegetables, and a perfectly poached farmers' market egg - but that my meat-loving husband doesn't appreciate as much. It makes a great dinner for one, although I adjusted the recipe to serve two. Everything except for the egg is cooked in the same pot: first the pasta gets added to boiling water, then the asparagus gets thrown in during the last minute, then everything gets drained and added back to the pot with some butter and parmesan to create a sauce. This leaves just a few dishes to do after dinner, which is a must for any single person meal. I took the bowl onto the couch and ate it in front of the TV and it made for a perfect night alone.


More Vegetarian Pasta Recipes:
- Spaghetti Aglio Olio with Romanesco
- Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Broccoli Cream Pesto
- Mushroom Marsala & Artichoke Pasta


Spaghetti with Asparagus and Poached Egg:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, season with salt, and cook 1/2 lb. of spaghetti until al dente.
• Trim the tough bottom ends off 1 bunch of thin asparagus and throw into the boiling water with the spaghetti during the last minute or two of cooking.
• Drain the pasta and asparagus and reserve 1/2 c. pasta cooking water. 
• Place pasta and asparagus back in the pot over low heat and add in 2 tbsp. of butter, /4 c. grated parmesan cheese, a pinch of salt and pepper, and a little of the pasta water.
• Stir until the butter is melted and thin sauce coats the noodles, adding more pasta water if necessary.
• Divide onto plates and top each with a poached egg.*
• To eat, break up the egg with your fork and toss with the pasta to coat it with some of the soft egg yolk.

Serves two

*See how to perfectly poach an egg here.