Vegetarian mains
Pasta with asparagus and horseradish
The strong, fresh flavour of asparagus works well with the kick of horseradish sauce in this quick but elegant weeknight pasta. For a richer dish, add 150ml of double cream to the asparagus when re-heating. Another good addition is slivers of smoked salmon. The trick, as always with asparagus, is not to overcook it.
Ingredients
- 450g asparagus
- 400g fusilli or other pasta shapes
- 50g butter
- 1 tbsp creamed horseradish
- squeeze of lemon juice
- 2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped, to garnish
Method
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Step 1
Trim the asparagus, breaking off the tough ends (save these for making soup). Cut into 2cm lengths, keeping the tips separate. Pour 4cm of water into a large saucepan, add salt, and bring to the boil. Add the stem pieces and simmer for 5 minutes. Add tips and simmer gently for 3-4 minutes, until just tender. Drain. If prepared in advance, cool and cover.
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Step 2
Bring a large pan of salted water to a gentle, rolling boil, tip in the pasta and cook until al dente.
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Step 3
A few minutes before the pasta is done, melt the butter in a frying-pan. Add the lemon juice and horseradish and stir. Add the asparagus, mixing well to make sure all the asparagus is coated.
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Step 4
Drain the pasta well, and tip into a hot serving dish. Spoon the asparagus mixture over the pasta, toss and scatter with chopped chives and serve.
