100 g white asparagus, peeled and cut in 4 cm pieces
2 spring onions, diagonally sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves confit garlic, mashed
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
sea salt & black pepper, freshly ground
Garnish:
20 g mixed fresh herbs e.g. basil, chives, mint & tarragon, chopped
handful of mixed cress e.g. rock chives®, daikon cress® & Affilla cress®
25 g parmesan cheese freshly grated
2 tbsp toasted pine nuts
Instructions
Mix all the ingredients for the whipped ricotta with a food processor or by hand. Taste and season extra if necessary. Don’t be stingy with the salt, it will enhance the flavor.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta al dente according to instructions, between 6-12 min (depending on your pasta kind). Drain, but keep 100 ml of the pasta water, return to the pan.
In the meantime, heat olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat, sauté the garlic for 30 sec, then add the veggies and cook for 1 min. Add pasta water, cover and cook for 4 min until veggies are tender, uncover for the last minute. Stir in pasta, cheese and lemon juice and toss well to combine. Taste and season with salt & pepper and half of the herbs.
Spread the whipped ricotta onto two plates. Divide the pasta on top. Garnish with the rest of the herbs, cress and pine nuts and serve immediately. Make sure to have a bit of ricotta with every bite.