Pasta with Goat Cheese, Lemon, and Asparagus

Ingredients

• 1 pound asparagus trimmed cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 5 ounce goat cheese fresh soft
• 0.3 cup olive oil 
• 1 pound rotini pasta (spiral-shaped
• 2 teaspoons tarragon fresh chopped for garnish

Equipment

• bowl
• pot

Directions

1. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling saltedwater until almost tender, stirringoccasionally, about 7 minutes.
2. Addasparagus and cook until pasta is tender butstill firm to bite, about 3 minutes longer.
3. Meanwhile, combine oil, lemon peel, andchopped tarragon in large bowl. Coarselycrumble in goat cheese.
4. Drain pasta and asparagus, reserving1 cup cooking liquid.
5. Add hot pasta,asparagus, and 1/4 cup reserved cookingliquid to bowl with cheese mixture. Tossto coat, adding more reserved liquid if dry.Season pasta to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Transfer to shallow platter.
7. Garnish withtarragon sprigs.