Asparagus, Goat Cheese and Lemon Pasta

Ok, so I am sort of a LEMON pasta fanatic.. I learned a really good recipe for lemon pasta back in cooking school in Florence using Pecorino Romano cheese, lemon zest, Parmegiano Regganio, garlic, olive oil, and basil... very very good! My dad asks for the recipe each year I see him, because he can't remember the ingredients ( although they are simple). So now that I live with them, I make it all the time..

so to mix it up, I found a similar recipe on SmittenKitchen.com (Food Blog)
Tonight I am going to try it out!!! Must be good; it has goat cheese.. my second favorite strong cheese to Camembert.

I have modified the amounts for this recipe from the original Bon Appetit, to add basil and feta cheese. Often with pasta there isn't enough spices, so I doubled the tarragon, and added feta cheese instead of using so much goat cheese (as it is expensive). So the modified version below, is yummy, we ate it tonight, and perfection!!! Try it!

notes: If your serving for less then 6 people, just use less pasta, but keep the same measurements for the ingredients. If your cooking for one, make enough for 2 and have yummy leftovers for lunch the next day!
Asparagus, Goat Cheese and Lemon Pasta
Adapted from Bon Appetit- yet modified by me!

Serves 6

1 pound (450 g) spiral-shaped pasta
1 pound (450 g) slender asparagus spears, trimmed (the hard ends off)
1/2 cup (125 ml) olive oil
1 organic lemon, zest
2 teaspoons (10 ml) chopped fresh tarragon plus more for garnish
1/2 cup log soft fresh goat cheese (the pre-crumbled stuff will not melt as well)

1/2 cup (125 ml) feta cheese crumbled

2 cloves of garlic. chopped finely

1/4 cup (60 ml) of fresh basil, chopped

Cook your pasta in a large pot. Add a bit of salt and olive oil to the water and cover with a clear lid to cook the water faster. Add pasta until pasta is almost tender, or about three minutes shy of what the package suggests. Add asparagus and cook until firm-tender, another two to three minutes. Drain both pasta and asparagus together, reserving one cup of pasta water.
Meanwhile, combine olive oil, lemon zest, tarragon and cheese in a large bowl, breaking up the goat cheese and feta as you put it in. Add garlic, basil to mix. Add hot pasta and asparagus to bowl, along with a couple slashes of the pasta water. Toss until smoothly combined, adding more pasta water if needed. Season generously with salt and pepper.