Asparagus and porcini spaghetti
Serves: 6-8
Prep time: 15 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Kris Kirkham
Asparagus and porcini spaghetti
The dried porcini mushrooms add a wonderful umami depth to the sauce for this delicious pasta dish
Serves: 6-8
Prep time: 15 minsTotal time: 
See more recipes
Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
460Kcal
Fat
16gr
Saturates
7gr
Carbs
62gr
Sugars
3gr
Fibre
6gr
Protein
15gr
Salt
0.3gr
Stevie Parle
Stevie Parle trained at The River Cafe, Moro and Petersham Nurseries and now has two Pastaio restaurants in London: one at Westfield in Shepherd’s Bush and one in Soho
See more of Stevie Parle’s recipes
Stevie Parle
Stevie Parle trained at The River Cafe, Moro and Petersham Nurseries and now has two Pastaio restaurants in London: one at Westfield in Shepherd’s Bush and one in Soho
See more of Stevie Parle’s recipes
Ingredients
- 10g dried porcini
- 500g British asparagus
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 50g butter
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 6 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked
- 500g spaghetti
- 2 tbsp crème fraîche
- Parmesan* shavings, to serve
Step by step
Get ahead
Get the asparagus tips oven-ready and cook the sauce several hours ahead. When ready to cook, roast the asparagus tips and reheat the sauce while the pasta is cooking.
- Soak the porcini in 150ml boiling water. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard, then cut about 5cm from the tips. Toss the tips with 1 tablespoon olive oil and set aside on a baking tray.
- Split the remaining tender parts of the stem lengthways, and then lengthways again, to create long thin sticks. Bunch together and chop finely.
- Drain the porcini, reserving the liquid, then finely chop. Heat a wide pan over a medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and half of the butter. Fry the garlic and thyme until fragrant. Add the porcini and fry for a few minutes, then add the chopped asparagus. Season, increase the heat and fry until the asparagus is starting to soften. Add the porcini soaking liquid and cook for a few minutes until the liquid has almost evaporated and the asparagus becomes a sauce-like consistency. This can be done ahead (see Get Ahead, above)
- When ready to finish off, preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. Cook the pasta in plenty of salted boiling water until al dente, and roast the asparagus tips for 5-8 minutes, until tender.
-
Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking water. Toss the pasta through the sauce with the crème fraîche, Parmesan and remaining butter, along with enough of the reserved pasta water to give a nice coating consistency. Serve immediately, topped with the roasted asparagus tips.
*Use vegetarian cheese if required.
