Penne Rustica with a Kick
tossed with Asparagus & topped with Crispy Panko
- Wheat
- Milk
- Tree Nuts
The week just isn’t complete without at least one pasta night. If you agree, you’re in luck! Our chefs put together a dish that’s sure to curb the most ferocious of carb cravings. In this recipe you’ll find penne studded with tender asparagus, fresh tomatoes, and swirls of garlic herb butter. The dreamy dish is finished off with a sprinkle of Parmesan and your new secret culinary weapon: an almond, chili, and lemon panko topping. It’s so delicious and easy to whip up, don’t be surprised when you find yourself making this meal on repeat.
Ingredients
¼ cup
Parmesan Cheese
6 ounce
Asparagus
1 unit
Lemon
6 ounce
Penne Pasta
(Contains: Wheat)
¼ ounce
Chives
2 tablespoon
Garlic Herb Butter
(Contains: Milk)
1 unit
Tomato
¼ cup
Panko Breadcrumbs
(Contains: Wheat)
1 teaspoon
Chili Flakes
½ ounce
Sliced Almonds
(Contains: Tree Nuts)
Not included in your delivery
3 teaspoon (tsp)
Olive Oil
2 tablespoon (tbsp)
Butter
(Contains: Milk)
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. • Once boiling, add penne to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes. • Reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water (1 cup for 4 servings), then drain.
• Meanwhile, wash and dry produce. • Trim and discard woody bottom ends from asparagus; cut stalks crosswise into 1-inch-long pieces. Dice tomato. Mince chives. Zest and quarter lemon. • Melt 1 TBSP plain butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add panko and almonds; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until golden brown, 3-4 minutes. • Turn off heat. Stir in a pinch of lemon zest and a pinch of chili flakes. Transfer to a small bowl.
• Heat a drizzle of olive oil in same pan over medium-high heat. Add asparagus and cook, stirring often, until bright green and tender, 2-4 minutes. • Add tomato and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add drained penne, garlic herb butter, half the Parmesan (save the rest for serving), and 1⁄3 cup reserved pasta cooking water (½ cup for 4 servings) to pan with veggies; stir until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add half the chives, remaining lemon zest, 1 TBSP plain butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings), and as many remaining chili flakes as you like to pan with pasta. Cook, stirring, until everything is thoroughly coated in sauce, 1-2 minutes. TIP: If needed, stir in more reserved pasta cooking water a splash at a time. • Turn off heat; stir in a squeeze of lemon juice to taste. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• Divide pasta between bowls. Sprinkle with panko mixture and remaining Parmesan. Add a drizzle of olive oil over bowls. Garnish with remaining chives and serve with any remaining lemon wedges on the side.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Feb 2026- Flavor: Many loved the combination of asparagus, tomatoes, and garlic herb butter, with the panko and almond topping adding delightful crunch 🍲.
- Ease of prep: Quick and easy to make, though some found the multiple pots and steps a bit cumbersome.
- Suggestions: Consider adding a protein like chicken or shrimp; some found doubling the sauce helpful for a creamier dish.
- Portions: Several mentioned it made more than two servings, while others wished for more pasta or vegetables.
- Spice level: The chili flakes provided a nice kick, but some preferred less heat; adjust to taste.
Reviews from our home cooks
Super flavorful! The panko with chilli peppers gives the dish a nice kick. The lemon brightens the pasta. Asparagus -yum! This is not a heavy cream sauce pasta. Light and tasty!
Very good pasta recipe. It combines all the usual HF things - a cream sauce, a veg or two, the bizarre almonds and panko in a pasta recipe - into a yummy, filling dish. The asparagus adds great flavor too. Will definitely order again if it is offered in the rotation.
The Penne Rustica was deliciously flavorful. Ingredients were high quality and the recipe was finely tuned. This meal was satisfying, and I didn't feel bloated and lethargic after eating it. Taste was comparable to quality of food you might get at a 5-star restaurant. Well done HelloFresh!
We used this recipe pretty quickly because the asparagus often don't make it too long. It was delicious. The panko and red pepper seeds were just the toppers needed to take this pasta to the next level.
This pasta was phenomenal. The almonds and panko crumbles provided a nice crunch. Love the asparagus and tomatoes! I added my own seared lemon chicken breast. Would love to make again!
Loved it. So fresh tasting with the lemon zest! The asparagus was amazing, probably could've used two tomatoes instead of just one and I did love the crunch of the Panko. This was just all great and I would definitely eat it again.
That buttery crispy-ness with the butter, panko bread crumbs, and sliced almonds is such a perfect combo with the creamy pasta and asparagus!
I enjoyed this a lot but I made a lot of modifications to the recipe. I omitted the lemon, cream cheese, breadcrumbs and almonds. I added chicken sausage. The combination of the meat, asparagus, tomato, scallions, chili flakes, and garlic herb butter was delicious over the penne. I used all the chili flakes and the parmesan.
This was okay. I expected more flavor. Seemed like it was mostly bland pasta, without much kick-- and not enough asparagus. I doubled the amount of chili flakes sent. The panko was a huge plus!! My family agreed that without the yummy panko topping, this would not have been much of a dish.
I love the panko topping on this! It really elevates it from just another pasta dish, it feels fancier. And I'm so glad asparagus is in more dishes now, we love it!
