Pasta With Asparagus And Lemon Sauce

• 2 lemons
• 1 (16 ounce) box penne pasta
• 5 tablespoons butter, divided
• 3/4 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth, or more to taste
• 4 sprigs fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 pinch white sugar, or to taste
• 2 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1/2 cup freshly shaved Parmesan cheese

1. Zest and juice 1 1/2 lemons. Cut remaining lemon half into wedges and set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking water.
3. While penne is cooking, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a pot over medium heat and cook asparagus until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove from pot.
4. Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter and heat until a pinch of flour sprinkled into the pot will just begin to bubble. Whisk in flour to form a thick paste the consistency of cake frosting. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, for about 5 minutes. Whisk in cream and vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Stir lemon juice, lemon zest, and parsley into the sauce; season with salt, pepper, and sugar. Add asparagus and heat through, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and penne to the sauce and pour in some of the reserved cooking water. Serve with shaved Parmesan and lemon wedges.

lemons, penne pasta, butter, salt, allpurpose, heavy cream, vegetable broth, parsley, white sugar, tomatoes, freshly shaved parmesan cheese

Taken from www.allrecipes.com/recipe/264438/pasta-with-asparagus-and-lemon-sauce/ (may not work)