Foodie Fridays: Pappardelle with Asparagus and Herbed Cream

The following recipe has been adapted from the cookbook Vegetarian Planet by Didi Emmons. It was a gift from my kitchen goddess, foodie friend Diana who swarms to it whenever she wants a fancy veggie recipe. It is adapted only because the original recipe calls for homemade pasta, and as much as I am a foodie, I am one who has little time for things like making my own pasta, but for those of you who like that sort of thing – fill your boots!

Feel free to substitute pappardelle with egg noodles or even bowtie pasta. Pappardelle, for those of you who aren’t familiar, is a very broad fettucine-like noodle, whose name is derived from the verb “pappare” – to gobble up. And indeed, it is a gobbling up kind of food.

The cannellini beans in this recipe are also known as white kidney beans. They are an excellent source of iron, magnesium and folate.

Asparagus is a Spring crop so very fresh this time of year. Use it soon after picking or buying. It is rich in folic acid ( important for pregnant and lactating moms) as well as Vitamins A, C and E.

Pappardelle with Asparagus and Herbed Cream

1 lb. pasta of your choice

1/2 lb asparagus

3 Tbsp butter

2 cups sliced onions

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 Tbsp white flour

3 cups milk

1 Tbsp fresh tyhme leaves or 1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp salt, or more, to taste

Fresh-ground black pepper, to taste

1 squeeze lemon

1 /2 cups (1 15 oz can) cooked and rinsed cannellini beans

2 Tbsp chopped dill

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Shaved Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

Break the tough ends off the asparagus, and cut the spears diagonally into 1 1/2-inch lengths.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with cold water and set aside. Add pasta to the pot and cook until al dente. Life pasta from the pot with a sieve and put the hot pasta in the bowl of cold water. Keep the water in the pot boiling. Blanch the asparagus for one minute, then drain and rinse with cold water.

Make the cream sauce: Heat the butter in a heavy saucepan. Add the onions, and saute them, stirring occasionally, until they have softened, about five minutes. Add the garlic and saute, stirring often, for five minutes more. Add the flour, and cook, stirring often, for one minute. Whisking constantly to avoid lumps, slowly add the milk, 1/2 cup at a time. Add the thyme, and simmer the sauce for 10 minutes, stirring every now and then. Add the salt and papper and a squeeze of lemon. Takle the pan off the heat. (At this point you can transfer the sauce to an air tight container and refrigerate it for up to 2 days.)

Just before serving, reheat the sauce gently in a large pot, then add the pasta, the asparagus, and the beans. Heat the contents thoroughly, tossing them once or twice, then add the dill and grate Parmesan cheese. Taste, and add more salt or pepper, if you wish. Garnish with shaved Parmesan cheese if you like, and serve.

Kitchen notes: This dish is rich, even when low fat milk is used. I felt it needed more herbs and garlic than called for, maybe even another tsp. The dill in it was great. Next time I might add a splash of white wine too.

Serves 6.

Related posts:

1. Foodie Fridays: Vegan Macaroni and Cheese
2. Foodie Fridays: Ice Cream Cake
3. Foodie Fridays: Vegetable Pie with Grated Potato Crust
4. Foodie Fridays: Mexican Bean and Rice Casserole
5. Foodie Fridays: Not Your Mama’s Green Beans

Tags: dinner, Foodie Fridays