Asparagus carbonara recipe

Asparagus carbonara is a twist on a classic Italian pasta dish. We’ve taken this rich and creamy pasta dish and greened it up by adding asparagus and cheese. The result is a bright and beautiful vegetarian pasta dish - just make sure you use vegetarian friendly Parmesan! We’ve used linguini, a type of pasta that is similar to spaghetti but a little wider, in our asparagus carbonara, but you could use any type of pasta you prefer. Asparagus carbonara is a really easy dish to make, and a great way to make the most of an abundance of spring asparagus. Making your own pasta sauce is so much easier than you might think, and means you avoid any hidden sugars and additives that you might find in shop bought sauces. For an easy but impressive veggie pasta dish that will make meat eaters green with envy, try this springtime asparagus carbonara.

Ingredients

• 400g asparagus, cut into 3cm chunks
• 400g dried linguine pasta
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 egg yolks
• 90g butter
• 90g Parmesan cheese, finely grated, plus extra to serve
• 1 bunch tarragon
• 100g petit pois
• 30g Parmesan, finely grated

Method

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil.  Blanch the asparagus in the boiling water for 2-3 minutes, remove the asparagus with tongs, and add the pasta to the water and cook according to packet instructions, around 8-10 minutes.

2. To make the sauce, blitz the hot asparagus, garlic clove, egg yolks, butter, Parmesan and tarragon in a blender until you have a fine consistency.  In a small bowl, pour boiling water over the peas to defrost them, then drain.

3. Toss the asparagus sauce through the drained, hot pasta and stir in the peas.  Serve straight away with extra grated Parmesan.