Lemony Herb Pasta

Ingredients:
1 container ricotta cheese
5 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup grated parm cheese
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 lb penne pasta
1 lb asparagus trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a small bowl, whisk together ricotta, lemon juice, parm cheese, parsley, olive oil, lemon zest, salt and pepper.Set aside.

2.Add penne to boiling water and cook for 7 minutes. Add asparagus to the pot for the final 3 minutes of cooking time. Set aside 1 cup "pasta water", then drain the pasta mixture, putting the pasta and asparagus into a serving bowl.

3. Add ricotta mixture and bacon to the bowl and stir well and add the "pasta water" 1/4 cup at a time. Serve immediately.

This is a high fat but high flavor dish ----worth every single gram of fat!!