British asparagus spring pasta

A super quick and easy dish for those mid-week meals that requires little preparation time.

 

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 15-20 minutes

 

You’ll need:

400g British asparagus

170g frozen peas

350g pappardelle pasta

2 knobs of butter

1tbsp olive oil

4 echalions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

200ml crème fraiche

Handful of chopped mint

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Parmesan, grated

 

What to do:

Put a large pan of water onto boil for the pappardelle. While you wait, trim the ends off the asparagus and chop into 2-3cm pieces. Once the water has come up to boil, blanch the asparagus and the peas for 2-3 minutes and then place in a bowl of ice-cold water

Keep the pan of water on the hob and boil the pasta according to pack instructions.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a frying pan, then add the olive oil, shallots and garlic and gently fry for 5 minutes until soft. Add the crème fraiche to the pan and stir to gently warm through making sure it doesn’t split. Add the fresh chopped mint, asparagus and peas to the pan and stir through along with a little of pasta water to loosen the mixture up.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain well and add to the sauce. Season to your liking and then serve with a grating of parmesan, a sprinkle of more fresh mint and a drizzle of olive oil.