For me, springtime is about eating asparagus. It’s one of those vegetables that really has to be eaten in season, and now there is an abundance. This is a really quick and easy asparagus pasta recipe by Nigella Lawson, which we have adapted by adding onions and upping the lemon quotient. Serves 2
2 bunches of asparagus
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Juice and zest of a large lemon
Pasta, your choice [we use Mercadona’s gluten-free], your quantity [for two, we cook 6oz]
2 tbsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Onion, chopped

Prepare the asparagus by snapping off the woody stems [reserve for asparagus soup, click here for the recipe]. Cut the remaining stalks into 2 cm lengths, they look pretty if cut on the diagonal. Nigella suggests cooking these in a steamer basket on top of the pasta, but as I was prepping lunch early I par-cooked them first in a small saucepan. If you do this, be careful to undercook them slightly as they will cook again when you add them to the final pasta pan. Drain the asparagus and set aside.

Put the oil in a large frying pan and over a gentle heat, slowly cook the onion and garlic. Do not allow to colour. Take it off the heat and add the lemon juice and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside. Meanwhile, cook your pasta until al dente. In the last few minutes of cooking time, gently re-heat the onion/lemon mixture. Drain your pasta and pour into the frying pan. Add the asparagus and lemon zest. Mix. Transfer to your serving dish and sprinkle with the parsley. 5 to remember
en temporada – in season
una abundancia – an abundance
el cociente – the quotient
leñoso/a – woody
la sopa – the soup

This recipe is adapted from Forever Summer by Nigella Lawson [UK: Chatto & Windus]