Spaghetti with Asparagus and Mustard
A quick and easy summer lunch or supper dish full of bright, fresh flavours.
Ingredients:
DRESSING
5 tablespoons olive oil
1.5 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
9 ounces/250g spaghetti, broken in to lengths of 7.5cm
1 tablespoon olive oil
10 ounces/300g unsmoked lean back bacon, rind removed and cut in to 1 cm strips
9 ounces/250g mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
9 ounces/250g asparagus, cut into2.5cm/1 inch pieces
9 ounces/250g cherry tomatoes, halved
2 ounces/50g parmesan shavings
Method:
Heat a large pan of salted water until it boils.
Meanwhile, make the dressing by whisking the oil. Vinegar and mustard until creamy then season and set aside.
When the water is boiling, add the spaghetti and cook for 10-12 minutes until tender.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and start cooking the bacon.
After 3 minutes, add the mushrooms to the bacon.
After a further 3 minutes, add the asparagus pieces.
After a further 4 minutes, add the tomato pieces and continue to cook for a further 2 minutes.
Drain the pasta and add to the frying pan and mix with the other ingredients.
Pour over the dressing and stir through, adding black pepper and possibly some salt to taste.
Serve in four warmed bowls topped with the parmesan shavings alongside a simple salad.
My Tips:
Roger recommended a teaspoon of oil in the water when cooking the spaghetti.
A potato peeler will produce shavings from a block of Parmesan cheese.
Getting all the ingredients weighed out and prepared before starting makes this dish very easy.