Cavatelli pasta with asparagus

Ingredients:

• 2 cups premium flour + extra for work
• 220 g ricotta (about 1 heaping cup)
• 1 large egg
• 110 g unsalted butter
• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and thinly sliced ​​(leave the top ends whole)
• Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 0.5 cup grated Parmesan (about 30 g) + extra for serving
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:

1. Dough:
   
   Place the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the center. In a smaller bowl, mix the ricotta and egg with a fork and add it to the well in the flour. Begin kneading around the well with a fork, gradually incorporating the flour and ricotta until you have a lumpy dough. If the dough is too dry and won't come together, add up to 3 tablespoons of water, a little at a time.
2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. You can knead the dough the day before and refrigerate it; bring it to room temperature before rolling it out.
3. Divide the dough into 8 pieces. Working with one piece at a time (keeping the remaining pieces wrapped), roll the dough on the counter into a 1 cm thick rope. Using a knife or scraper, cut the rope into 1 cm pieces. Roll each piece into a small ball.
4. Flatten each dough ball with your finger. Place the back of a butter knife on the flattened dough and gently pull it toward you to create a deep line down the center. Form the remaining cavatelli in the same way; place them on a floured baking sheet.
5. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Transfer the cavatelli to a colander and shake over a baking sheet to remove excess flour. Add the cavatelli to the boiling water and cook until al dente, about 5 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the asparagus, lemon zest, and juice. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cavatelli to the skillet, adding 3/4 cup of the cooking water from the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is coated with the sauce and the asparagus is tender, 3 to 4 minutes; season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the Parmesan and parsley; serve sprinkled with more Parmesan.