Cheese ravioli topped with a lemon asparagus cream sauce. This dish is quick to make and full of fresh, asparagus flavor.
Set a large pot of water over high heat to bring to a boil and preheat a heavy bottomed frying pan over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes.
In the warmed frying pan, add the unsalted butter and olive oil. Once the butter is melted, add the minced shallot. Saute the shallot for about 2 minutes, stirring often, until softened. Add the minced garlic and about ½ of the prepared asparagus. Saute the asparagus in the shallots and garlic for about 2-4 minutes, until it begins to soften.
Turn the heat under the frying pan to low. Pour in the heavy cream and add the lemon zest. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and stir to combine everything together. Let the sauce warm for 2 minutes. Set the pan aside, off the heat, until the ravioli has finished boiling.
To the large pot of water, add the remaining half of the prepared asparagus followed by the cheese ravioli. Boil the ravioli and asparagus for 3-4 minutes. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining the ravioli into a colander in the sink. Set aside.
Carefully transfer the cream sauce from the frying pan into a high speed blender. Add the fresh basil, lemon juice, grated parmesan, and ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water. Leave a small opening at the top of the blender to allow any steam to escape and blend the sauce on high until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, add additional pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Divide the cheese ravioli among plates or transfer to a serving plate. Pour the lemon asparagus cream sauce over the ravioli. Serve the cheese ravioli with additional grated parmesan cheese and freshly grated black pepper. Enjoy!