Here’s another very simple recipe from Donna Hay’s book Off the Shelf that we made for dinner last night. This version of the classic recipe takes advantage of the gorgeous asparagus we’ve been seeing in the markets lately. I’d never had lemon cream sauce before, and I really liked it. Made with veggie stock, it makes a great veggie main dish. We served it with a simple salad of greens, balsamic vinegar and oil, with shaved parmesan. The kids had bread, but I did not, I am proud to report. (I am also proud to report that I went to the gyn today, and as I am typing this, my daughter is eating ice cream and I am not. Those of you who know me well know that this is a good thing.)
That’s Donna’s photo of this dish over there on the right. It is of course no suprise that her photo is much prettier than mine. I love how she curls the pasta in that little tower. And I don’t know about you, but I’ve never seen such white spaghetti before, and certainly not when it’s coated with a lemon cream sauce that has this much parmesan in it. Just shows you want the right lighting and food styling (and photo retouching) can do for a dish.
But you know what? I’m not jealous. Because mine tasted just great.
Spagetti with Asparagus and Lemon Cream
1 1/2 cups cream (we used half and half, I bet it would taste just as good with milk)
1 1/2 cups chicken stock (You can use veggie stock if you want)
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
14 oz spaghetti
500 gm (1 lb) asparagus, trimmed
1/4 cup parsely, chopped
pepper and salt to taste
Plcae the cream, stock and lemon zest in a frying panover medium heat and allo to simmer rapidly. Gradually whisk in the lemon juice, then stir in the parmesan cheese and cook for another 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
Place the spaghetti in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water and cook till al dente. Drain.
Cut the asparagus into thirds and steam over boiling water until tender. (We just cooked it in a flat pan with just enough water to cover, like we always do.)
To serve, toss the spagetti with the asparagus, lemon cream, parsley and salt. Serves 4.
Category: Food
Also, your asparagus looks crisper than hers, and thus better!
YOURS looks far yummier than hers. The white of the pasta is kind of off-putting. I’ll have to try that one. This week.
TBTAM, you and I are apparently on the same wavelength. On Sunday, I posted about Nigella Lawson’s lemon linguine. The two dishes look remarkably similar, except Donna’s version has broth and asparagus.
That reminds me, have you made any stock yet?
I agree with previous posters – I’d rather eat your pasta; it looks far nicer.
one question, though, did you go to the “gyn” or to the “gym”? You said gyn, so I was waiting for some revelation that by not eating bread or ice cream something amazing had happened to you gynecologically…
Rachel:
Gee, that was a Freudian slip if I ever made one. I meant GYM…
De-lurking to say you got me with this one. I’ll be making it tomorrow after the gym.
If I can wait that long…
Tried it and LOVED it! Added some grilled chicken- marinated in lemon juice, olive oil, and cracked black pepper (’cause I was in the mood for some protein too). Served with a chilled Pinot Grigio and a Marscapone-Strawberry Trifle with Honey and Basalmic Vinegar Sauce accompanied by Amaretto for dessert.
C’est magnifique!
I made this last night and added grilled shrimp. It was wonderful. And it was so easy to prepare that even I couldn’t screw it up. Love your blog.
great recipe! i added green onions for a little kick