- 1 (13.25 ounce) package whole wheat rotini pasta
- 1/2 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 (8 ounce) package sugar snap peas, ends and strings removed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; cook the whole-wheat rotini at a boil until just beginning to become tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in asparagus and snap peas and cook until vegetables are bright green and pasta is tender, about 3 more minutes. Drain pasta and vegetables, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Transfer rotini, asparagus, peas, and the cooking water to a large serving bowl and keep warm.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onion until barely golden, 10 to 12 minutes; stir in lemon juice and lemon zest and cook until lemon zest is fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Toss onion mixture, Pecorino Romano cheese, and basil into the pasta and vegetables; season with salt and black pepper.