March: Fettucine with Asparagus

An early spring pasta dish to bring in some brightness & warmth

In introducing our recipe for March, I need to begin by talking about February. I know that, according to our calendar, February is listed as the shortest month. Even during Leap Years, February has the least number of days. Yet, February always seems like Endless Winter! Even during years when there’s a 60-degree day or two, the whole second month of the year with its cold temps and gray days and fewer hours of sunlight seems monotonously depressing. I long for Spring!

So, when the first bunches of asparagus show up in the supermarket (It’s still too early where I live for the CSA or a farmers’ market), I celebrate having survived yet another dreary February, and make Fettuccine with Asparagus for dinner!

Asparagus painted in watercolor

Fettuccine with Asparagus

Ingredients

1 pound dried fettuccine pasta

1 pound fresh asparagus, woody ends snapped off, and remaining stalks cut into 2-inch lengths

3 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and finely minced

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 lemon, juiced and outer peel, grated

1 cup Half & Half, or use ½ cup light cream (or evaporated milk if funds are running low) and ½ cup whole milk 

½ teaspoon Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

A grating of fresh nutmeg

½ cup parmesan cheese, finely grated (or more to taste) 

Fresh fettuccine (made by Oro RVA), and fresh asparagus

Preparation

Begin by filling a large pasta pot two-thirds full with water and bringing it to a boil. Add enough Kosher salt to make the water taste like the sea, stir, and bring it back to boiling. Add the fettuccine, stir again, and cook, uncovered, until pasta reaches the state of al dente (9 to 11 minutes).

While the pasta cooks, prepare the asparagus topping.

Wash the asparagus, peel  the bottom eighth of each stalk if you have the time, snap off the woody ends, and cut each stalk into 2-inch lengths.

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until you feel the heat rising off the pan, and add the asparagus and the minced garlic. Stir, tossing  with a fork as it cooks, for two minutes. Then, add the lemon juice, reduce the heat to medium, and continue cooking for five minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat, and add the Half & Half or combined milk and cream, the grated lemon rind, the salt and pepper and a grating of nutmeg.

Return the pan to the stovetop and heat, on low heat until just heated through.

Drain the pasta, pour asparagus and sauce on top, toss with tongs or two forks, and sprinkle grated parmesan over all. Serve immediately, and enjoy! Welcome spring, and enjoy asparagus in this recipe and many others until summer’s heat declares its season to be at an end! 

-Penny

(illustration and photos created by Molly)

Fettucine with asparagus, plated