Pasta with asparagus and horseradish

Vegetarian mains

Pasta with asparagus and horseradish

Name: Pasta with asparagus and horseradish
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4

Main Serves 4 35 min

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

Prep time: 15 min

Cooking time: 20 min

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.
Step 2
Bring a large pan of salted water to a gentle, rolling boil, tip in the pasta and cook until al dente.
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.
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.