Asparagus has a pleasant bitter aftertaste and is suitable for salads, omelettes, grilled fish, and even pasta.
Materials:
200 gr. spaghetti
Two tsp. of extra virgin olive oil
Two large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
Eight anchovy fillets, chopped
One pinch of Bukovo
200 gr. asparagus, bite-sized
125 ml dry white wine
40 gr. Parmesan cheese, grated
For the crumble
Two slices of stale bread cut into pieces
2 tsp. fennel seed
Two tsp. of extra virgin olive oil
Procedure
Step 1
Crumble: Pulse the bread and fennel seeds in a food processor or mortar, along with a pinch of salt, until you have breadcrumbs. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan, add the breadcrumbs and cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the mixture turns golden brown and becomes really crispy. Leave it aside.
Pasta: Boil the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente, then drain, reserving some of the cooking water.
Step 2
In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a separate pan and sauté the garlic, anchovies and bukovo for 1-2 minutes or until the anchovies melt. Add the asparagus and continue cooking for 2 minutes. Then add the wine and simmer for 2-3 minutes or until the asparagus is cooked.
Step 3
Add the pasta to the pan with the asparagus, then the Parmesan, and mix very well, adding a little of the pasta's boiling water to prevent sticking. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Divide into plates and top with crispy breadcrumbs.
Giorgos Dimitrakopoulos is a columnist for Olive Magazine. Translated by Paul Antonopoulos.
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