Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you go
Serves 6
- 500g (1 lb) pasta
- 1 shallot
- 1 knob of butter
- 1 bunch of asparagus (400g/14 oz)
- 1 carton of cream (25cl/1 cup)
- 1 glass of milk
- 2 tbsp grated Parmesan (or to taste)
- A few sprigs of chopped chives
- 1 ladle of pasta cooking water
- Salt, pepper
Preparation
Clean the asparagus and cook them flat for 6 minutes in a container filled with lightly salted boiling water. Drain, place the asparagus on a cutting board, cut off the tips and set them aside for serving.
In a saucepan, gently sauté a minced shallot in a knob of butter. When the shallot has softened, increase the heat slightly, add the asparagus stems cut into small pieces, season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, in another saucepan, cook the pasta according to package instructions. If you want to try making fresh pasta, it’s a bit time-consuming but quite easy.
Add the cream, milk, and Parmesan. Lower the heat to let it thicken gently, then add a small ladle of pasta cooking water. Transfer to a blender and blend until you get a smooth texture.
Drain the pasta and add it to the asparagus cream, serve garnished with the asparagus tips you set aside and a bit of grated Parmesan.
Tips
- If you like small pieces of asparagus in the sauce, blending isn’t essential.