Asparagus & Smoked Salmon Pasta

Yippee to asparagus season! We’re relishing the glorious Court Farm asparagus literally picked meters away from our packing station and educational garden plot. If you manage to liberate yours for anything other than a simple steaming and butter/lemon then it’s quite delicious in this simple pasta dish.  Literally made in the time the pasta takes to cook this is a brilliant quickie mid-week recipe. Outside of asparagus season it works with calabrese or purple sprouting broccoli, peas, broad beans or a combination of any of these. 

Makes: 2

Ingredients

  • Pasta of your choice for 2 people 
  • 1 large bunch Asparagus
  • 100g Smoked Salmon
  • 1 Lemon
  • 1 heaped tbsp Creme Fraiche
  • 1-2 heaped tbsps finely grated Parmesan Cheese
  • Salt & Black Pepper
  • Chives, Dill or Parsley

Method

  1. Cook your pasta until al dente. Meanwhile lightly steam the Asparagus until just tender. Leave the tips whole but cut the stems into 2 to 3 cm lengths. 
  2. Slice the smoked salmon into strips. Zest the lemon. 
  3. Stir together the hot cooked pasta with the smoked salmon, steamed asparagus, lemon zest, a generous squeeze or two of lemon juice, creme fraiche and 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan. Season with black pepper, salt and more lemon juice.
  4. Serve with additional grated Parmesan and a scattering of chopped chives, dill or parsley.