Daylesford's fresh pasta with asparagus and wild garlic recipe
Spring freshness and home comforts combine in this delicious recipe courtesy of Daylesford
Ingredients
(Serves 2)1 shallot, finely diced
4 spears of asparagus
200g fresh pasta
Handful of wild garlic
100g frozen peas
50g hard cheese such as Spenwood, Manchego or Parmesan
Handful of pitted olives, halved (optional)
Method (20 minutes)
Prepare the asparagus by cutting the spears vertically into long, thin strips with a sharp knife, vegetable peeler or a mandolin.
Set a sauté pan over a medium heat and add a little olive oil. Add the shallot and sweat for 2 minutes. Once softened, add the asparagus strips and season with salt & pepper. Continue to cook for a further 2 minutes.
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Drop in the pasta and swirl around with a wooden spoon to stop it from sticking. When the pasta is nearly done but still has some bite, lift it from the water with tongs and transfer to the sauté pan with the softened shallots and asparagus. Do not discard the pasta cooking water.
Toss the pasta together with the asparagus and shallots, adding a handful of cheese, the wild garlic and peas.
Return the sauté pan to a low-medium heat. Add a ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water and a handful of cheese, tossing the pan as you go over a low heat so the sauce does not split. Repeat until all the cheese has melted and you have a glossy sauce. Once you are happy with the consistency, divide the pasta between two serving plates. Top with a final sprinkling of cheese or chopped olives and enjoy.
