There are occasionally those weekends where I like to spend a few hours messing around in the kitchen as a way to relax. And, one of the best ways for me to do that is to make fresh pasta. In this case, homemade garganelli with lemon, asparagus and lots of parmesan.
I’ve always liked making pasta by hand, kinda mindless and methodical, messy and tactile. Just think of it as adult Play-Doh, except the end result is delicious, unlike the kids’ version. Anyone who’s tried a sample of Play-Doh knows what I’m talking about here.
I get that the thought of making fresh pasta for some is far from a relaxing endeavor. If that’s the case, and you still want to make this, just bypass the whole pasta making part, buy some fresh pasta or use a box of the dried stuff and just focus on making the sauce. It’ll be delicious either route you choose. And truthfully, this is the first time I’ve made this using fresh pasta, I usually just grab a box of linguine or farfalle.
I first made this after I saw a recipe for lemon linguine. It had a lemon and cream sauce, which looked delish, but I didn’t have any cream so I just compensated with some extra cheese and when I went to eat it, I realized it was kinda like cacio e pepe, or rather cacio e limone. After that I made another version for Ry and I and wanted to add in some veg, so I threw in some asparagus and was so psyched with how it turned out that I was determined to do a post on it with some fresh pasta once I had the sauce all thought out. And, that’s what you have here.
I’ve always liked making pasta by hand, kinda mindless and methodical, messy and tactile. Just think of it as adult Play-Doh, except the end result is delicious, unlike the kids' version. Anyone who's tried a sample of Play-Doh knows what I’m talking about here.
What Is Garganelli?
Garganelli is a traditional Italian egg pasta that’s rolled into small tubes and ridged across the outside that clings to the sauce. It looks a bit like penne, but handmade. The ridges are made by rolling the dough over a gnocchi board or fork.
Why You’ll Love This Spring Pasta Recipe
This fresh garganelli pasta is paired with grilled asparagus, lots of lemon, nutty Parmesan, and black pepper. It’s creamy without being heavy, sharp with citrus and cracked pepper, and perfect for those nights when you want something simple but still special.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For The Pasta Dough
- 3 cups 00 or all-purpose flour
- 3 eggs
- ~1/4 cup water (adjust as needed)
The Lemon and Asparagus Sauce
- 1 bunch asparagus
- 2 lemons (1 zested, 1 grilled for juice)
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- Parmigiano-Reggiano (generous handful, grated)
- Salt
- Black pepper
How to Make Homemade Garganelli Pasta
Make the Pasta Dough
In a food processor, combine the eggs and flour and pulse a few times. Gradually drizzle in the water until the dough just starts to form a ball. When you pinch the mixture, it should hold together without being sticky. Dump it onto a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Wrap it in plastic and let it chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Roll and Shape the Garganelli
Roll the dough into sheets about 2mm thick. Cut into 2-inch squares. Roll each square diagonally over a gnocchi board or the prongs of a fork using the handle of a wooden spoon or your pinky to shape the tube. It takes a little practice, but don’t stress over it.
Prep the Sauce Ingredients
- Grill your asparagus until lightly charred and tender, then slice into 2-inch diagonal pieces. While you’re at it, grill lemon halves until caramelized.
- In a cold pan, add butter, olive oil, and lemon zest. Warm slowly over medium-low heat until the butter melts and infuses with the zest, about 3-5 minutes.
Cook and Sauce the Pasta
- Cook the fresh garganelli in salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile, reheat your sauce and scoop out 1/2 cup of starchy pasta water. Add the cooked pasta and water to the sauce and stir vigorously to emulsify.
- Off the heat, add a generous handful of grated Parmesan and stir until creamy. Toss in your grilled asparagus, more lemon zest, plenty of cracked black pepper, and the juice from your grilled lemon.
Tips and Tricks
- Use a gnocchi board or fork for those classic ridges
- Don’t skip the pasta water—it makes the sauce extra silky
- Grilled lemon juice adds a smoky flavor—unexpected and delicious.
Variations and Swaps
- Use peas, green beans, or broccoli in place of asparagus
- Try pecorino instead of Parmesan
- Want it extra rich? Add in a splash of heavy cream.
How to Store Fresh Garganelli
- Uncooked garganelli can be frozen in a single layer and then transferred to bags for up to 1 month. Cook directly from frozen.
- Leftovers (sauced) can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheated gently in a skillet with a splash of water or oil.
FAQs
Can I make garganelli without a gnocchi board?
Yes—use the back of a fork or just roll without ridges.
How long does fresh garganelli take to cook?
About 2-3 minutes in salted boiling water.
Can I make this with dried pasta?
Absolutely. Penne, ziti or farfalle work great.
More Recipes to Try
Homemade Pasta – Your guide to making fresh pasta at home.
Ragu Bianco (White Bolognese Sauce) – A delicious tomato-free version of classic bolognese, this ragu bianco is simmered slowly and made with pancetta, beef, pork, and lots of fresh rosemary and sage.
Homemade Ricotta Cavatelli – Homemade ricotta cavatelli are easy to make and go perfectly with any sauce. Just a few ingredients and no special equipment needed. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pasta pro, this is a go-to homemade pasta shape.
The Best Short Rib Ragu – The best short rib ragu, a twist on the classic Italian meat sauce, ragu bolognese. Slowly cooked and served over fresh homemade pasta.
Ricotta Agnolotti – These agnolotti are a delicious stuffed pasta, filled with fresh ricotta, parmesan, and a touch of nutmeg.
Brown Butter Sauce with Sage and Walnuts – Brown butter, crispy sage and toasted walnuts make one of the easiest and most delicious pasta sauces. Pairs great with agnolotti, gnocchi or ravioli.
Pasta alla Genovese – Genovese sauce is a traditional beef and onion ragù from Naples. Slowly simmered with white wine, this sauce develops a rich, deep flavor perfect for pairing with pasta.
Homemade Potato Gnocchi – Learn how to make homemade potato gnocchi from scratch with this foolproof recipe. Just 2 ingredients needed for light, pillowy Italian dumplings.
Hand-rolled Pinci Pasta – A recipe for how to make homemade pinci (or pici) pasta.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Leave a comment and rating below, or share a photo and tag @MostHungry on Instagram. I can’t wait to see it!
Homemade Ganganelli Pasta
Equipment
- Gnocchi board or the back of a fork to get those nice ridges on the garganelli
Ingredients
Pasta Dough
- 3 c flour
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 c water more or less as needed
The Sauce
- 1 bunch asparagus
- 2 lemons 1 zested, 1 grilled
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- parmigiano-reggiano
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- You can think of this recipe in two parts, the first being the actual pasta making portion, which you can feel free to skip if you like, and then the saucing if you will.
The Pasta Part
- I prefer to make the pasta dough in a food processor, less cleanup, and super fast. Combine your eggs and flour in the processor and pulse a few times. It should look slightly crumbly. Next run the processor and drizzle in 1/4 - 1/2 cup water. You may need slightly more or less depending on how large your eggs are, how humid it is that day, etc. Add enough water so that a your dough is almost forming a ball. You’ll want it to hold together when you pinch a small portion of the mixture.
- Next you can go ahead and dump out your dough mixture on a flat surface, sprinkled with a little flour and kneed away. I recommend about 10 mins. You want it to be a smooth ball that bounces back when you poke it.
- Next wrap it in plastic, and let sit for at least 30 minutes in the fridge. Make sure to let the dough rest or else it’ll be a total nightmare to work with.
- Once your dough is rested you’re ready to get rolling. Either using a rolling pin, or a pasta maker, roll out sheets of dough about 2mm thick. Not too thin, not too thick, don’t overthink it. To shape the pasta you want to cut out roughly 2” squares of pasta then roll the ends around your pinkly finger, or use the end of a wooden spoon like I did, to get a nice tube with points on the end. And, to get that ridged texture you can either use an gnocchi board or the back of a fork. I would do that extra bit for the texture, it helps the sauce stick, and if you’ve gone through all the effort to make the pasta this far, why slack now?
The Sauce
- Ok, pasta is made, or you have a box ready and available (no judgement either way), now onto the saucy part. Grill you asparagus so it has a slight charr on it and then slice it into 2” pieces on the diagonal. Once your asparagus is done, set it in a bowl off to the side. And, since you already have the grill heated up I would recommend adding a few lemon halves on there to charr up as well.
- Next, add a good bit of butter and olive oil to a cold pan along with zest of 1 lemon. Turn the heat to medium-low and let the oil and butter warm up and infuse with the zest. That should take about 3-5 mins.
- Once your lemony oil is done you can go ahead and get your pasta cooking. It should only take a few minutes if you are using the fresh stuff, and be sure to season the cooking water with some salt.
- Once your pasta is al dente, turn your oil/sauce pan on medium heat, add in the pasta and about a half cup of the starchy cooking liquid and stir like crazy. You want it to get nice and starchy from the pasta rubbing against one another. After about a minute, take your pan off the heat, dump in a generous handful of that cheese, and stir some more until it all looks nice and creamy.
- You can then go ahead and add in your asparagus, the zest of another lemon, lots of black pepper and a good squeeze of that grilled lemon juice. I used the juice from a whole lemon, but taste it and see what you like. Next plate it up, top with some additional cheese and lemon zest, and a good drizzle of olive oil. Eat up!
Did You Make This Recipe?
Leave a comment with your thoughts or share your version on Instagram by tagging @TheMostHungry. I’d love to see how you made it your own!
One thought on Homemade Garganelli Pasta
A big WOW! I love pasta and this dish looks very delish. If I wanted to serve with a side of protein, I’m thinking some sautéed chicken tenders or cutlets. Everything on the same dish (but separate) because a little of that sauce would be perf for chicken.