A big part of the Italian diet is fresh vegetables, beautifully integrated into moreish dishes – and these seasonal recipes from Gennaro Contaldo take that ethos to the max
PHOTOGRAPHS DAVID LOFTUS FOOD STYLING PIP SPENCE
In my childhood, the seasons dictated what we ate, and I looked forward to each season for the different produce it would bring. Spring brought all the wonderful herbs, young salad leaves, spinach and asparagus. In Italy, no one serves plain boiled veg – it’s always flavoured or made into something more substantial, as it is in these two wonderful dishes. I hope they inspire you to make good use of vegetables and turn them into the superhero of your meals
Carbonara di asparagi (asparagus carbonara)
Serves 4 Hands-on time 15 min
GENNARO'S TIPS
Vegetarians can simply omit the pancetta and use a veggie hard cheese. Store the egg whites in the fridge for a lovely light omelette the next day.
• 320g asparagus
• 320g dried linguine
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 60g diced pancetta
• 6 medium free-range egg yolks
• 80g pecorino, finely grated, plus extra to sprinkle
1Remove and reserve the woody stems from the asparagus, then finely chop the remaining stems, keeping the asparagus tips intact.
2Put a large pan of salted water over a high heat and add the woody stems. When the water starts to boil, lift out and discard the stems, then add the linguine and cook until al dente (with bite).
3Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, add the pancetta and cook for 2-3 minutes until it begins to colour. Stir in the asparagus stems and tips and stir-fry for about 3 minutes until cooked.
4In a bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks, then stir in a little black pepper and the pecorino. Drain the cooked linguine (reserving a cup of pasta water) and add to the frying pan. Mix the pasta, pancetta and asparagus together well, adding a splash of the hot pasta water to bind. Remove from the heat and quickly stir in the egg mixture until everything is well combined and silky. Serve immediately with extra black pepper and grated pecorino.
Per serving 611kcals, 30g fat (9.5g saturated), 25g protein, 59g carbs (4.4g sugars), 1g salt, 3.8g fibre
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