Directions

• Make/purchase your favorite sausage. I used sweet Italian chicken sausage with kale (e.g., don’t worry, the kale doesn’t impart an appreciable flavor). Convert each sausage into 5 small meatballs.

  • 

• Cut the asparagus, keeping only the soft tips. Cut the broccoli into small florets. Blanch the asparagus tips and broccoli for 10 minutes.
• Start boiling the water for the spaghetti. And salt with your favorite salt of choice, I usually use garlic salt, but the world is your oyster. Follow the instructions and cook until al dente.
• Spray a light coat of olive oil on a medium hot pan, and place meatballs symmetrically into the pan. Let the meatballs sear on the top and bottom for 3 minutes per side. Sear one edge for 2 minutes. You should still see pink, but you will finish their cooking in the white sauce.
• White Sauce
• Use a vegetable peeler and remove some of the lemon skin for garnish. Zest and juice (1 tsp) the lemon; save the juice for later. Heat the heavy cream over medium-low heat and whisk, cooking for 1 to 2 minutes, until it becomes frothy. Add the lemon zest. Let simmer while whisking melted butter one tablespoon at a time into the sauce.
• Add the meatballs, asparagus tips, and broccoli to the white sauce and let simmer gently for 10 minutes.
• Spaghetti
• Drain the spaghetti and add it to the white sauce. Add the lemon juice and Parmigiano Reggiano, begin mixing all the ingredients, or save it for the plating like I usually do.
• Plating
• Plate the pasta, add the white pepper, and garnish with the lemon peel.