Mediterranean Asparagus & Caper Pasta

Serves 4   

Ingredients 

• 450 grams asparagus 

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 

• ½ cup water 

• Large handful flat leaf parsley, finely chopped 

• 50 grams parmesan, grated

• 1 large lemon, juiced 

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

• 300 grams pasta of choice – I used bowties 

To serve 

• 2 – 3 tablespoons pickled capers 

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

• 50 grams parmesan, shaved 

• Handful fresh chives, finely chopped 

Method 

1. Wash the asparagus and slice the stems into small pieces leaving the top quarter of each asparagus spear whole. You want to be left with about ¾ of the asparagus chopped, and the tops left uncut. Set the tops aside for later. 

2. Place the first measure of olive oil and garlic into a large cold pan and turn on the heat. Allow the garlic to just begin to sizzle (don’t burn it), before adding the sliced asparagus stems. Cook for 30 seconds on high, stirring, then add the water. Bring to the boil and partially cover the pan, cooking until the asparagus is tender but still bright green (about 5-6 minutes). Allow to cool slightly. 

3. Transfer the asparagus mixture to a blender scraping the pan out well to get all those bits of garlic. Add the parsley, grated parmesan, lemon juice and second measure of olive oil. Blend until creamy and smooth, adding a bit more olive oil if needed for consistency. Season with sea salt and black pepper and taste, adjusting any flavours if needed. 

4. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente and drain, reserving 1 ½ cups of the cooking liquid. 

5. Prepare the caper topping by adding them and the third measure of olive oil to a small pan. Allow to sizzle for 30 seconds then remove from the heat. 

6. Now to assemble. Heat your large pan back up and place the asparagus tops in it, diagonally slicing any longer ones. Heat through slightly, then add the cooked pasta and the sauce. Tip in 1 cup of the pasta water and carefully combine everything, stirring gently. Don’t overcook the sauce at this stage, just heat it together with the pasta and asparagus tops until the tops are tender and the sauce is piping hot and has emulsified. Add more pasta water if the sauce dries out too much during this process – you want it to be thick yet silky and coating all the pasta. 

7. Tip the pasta onto a large serving platter and spoon the capers and olive oil evenly over the top. Add the shaved parmesan and a sprinkle of chives, finishing with an extra grind of black pepper.  

8. Serve immediately with lemon wedges, a leafy green salad and a loaf of crusty bread. 

Recipe notes

• You could make the sauce in advance and refrigerate it until you are ready to cook the meal. Simply bring it to room temperature before you need it and add it to the pan with the pasta and asparagus spears as the recipe states, allowing a bit more time (and maybe more cooking water) for it to heat up and mix through. 

• If you aren’t a fan of capers, you can make a herb oil instead to top the pasta – I recommend rosemary to cut through the creaminess of the sauce. Just chop it up and sizzle it in the oil as you would the capers.