Pasta With Chicken and Asparagus Ragu

This weeknight pasta yields a hearty yet light chicken ragu that’s infused with fresh oregano and studded with a pound of sweet asparagus. The tomato-free white ragu teams up with quick-cooking ground chicken, which stays juicy thanks to a simmer in broth and cream, but feel free to use your favorite ground meat here. (Ground pork will also deliver a rich, comforting pasta sauce.) To keep the asparagus bright green and crisp-tender — a trick that can be employed for peas, spinach or other green vegetables — it’s briefly blanched in the boiling water with the pasta during the last few minutes of cooking.

Ingredients

• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 0.5 cup finely chopped white onion
• 0.5 cup finely chopped carrot
• 0.5 cup finely chopped celery
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound ground chicken (preferably dark meat) or ground pork
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 0.5 cup heavy cream
• 1 fresh oregano sprig
• 1 pound short pasta, such as gemelli or fusilli
• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and sliced 1/4-inch-thick (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 0.5 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
• 0.25 cup chopped chives, plus more for garnishing
• 0.5 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)

Steps

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high.
2. In a large Dutch oven or heavy lidded pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion, carrot and celery; season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. 
3. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring and breaking up the meat, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. 
4. Add broth, heavy cream and oregano sprig and bring to a simmer, stirring and spreading the meat in an even layer to keep it submerged in the liquid. Cover, adjust heat to medium-low and cook until chicken is tender and cooked through, 5 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has reduced by half, about 5 minutes longer. Discard oregano sprig.
5. Meanwhile, add pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions until al dente, adding asparagus during the last 2 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and drain.
6. Add pasta mixture and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water to the chicken ragu and cook over medium, stirring vigorously, until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Turn off heat and add lemon juice, cheese, chives and crushed red pepper (if using) and stir until pasta is evenly coated in the sauce, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Divide pasta among bowls and top each with more cheese and chives. Serve warm.