Spaghetti with Fresh Herbs and Ricotta

This meal is perfect for a busy week night or last minute dinner guests! It's quick and easy to put together, but has the presence of a gourmet menu item. The generous quantity of fresh herbs adds a lively vibrant green and lovely fresh flavour to the dish. It seems like a lot of herbs, but it tastes just right - they do not overwhelm the pasta at all!

500 g./1 lb. spaghetti (organic, whole wheat or gluten-free)
bunch of asparagus, cut into 1" pieces

2 c. ricotta (or one batch of homemade)

2 lemons, zest and juice
extra virgin olive oil

1/2 bunch basil, finely chopped

6 springs parsley, finely chopped

2 sprigs rosemary leaves, finely chopped
1 red chilli, seeds removed and finely diced

Add the zest of one lemon to the ricotta. Roll both lemons a few times on the counter using medium pressure to release the juice. Set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 generous pinches of salt and cook the spaghetti according to package directions. Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Cook the asparagus until desired tenderness is reached, anywhere from 4-8 minutes. Once the pasta is cooked, reserve 1 cup of the starchy water and stir it back into the drained noodles. Cut the zested lemon in half and add the juice to the pasta.

Divide the pasta between the plates. Drizzle each with olive oil and top with asparagus, crumbled lemon ricotta, a mixture of the herbs and a pinch of fresh chilli. Serve with a lemon wedge.