Fettuccini with Asparagus and Gorgonzola Sauce

It’s spring, so asparagus and peas are in.

In season, that is.

I’d like to meet the one person on this planet that doesn’t like asparagus. Even the pickiest of eaters love the stuff. 

 Same goes for peas.

Even kids love peas. Put anything else green in front of them and you’ll hear a resounding “no”, but peas—that’s a different story.

Back to asparagus: The asparagus was selling for just $1.99/lb at my local grocer, so I picked the best bunch (here’s a guide on how to pick the freshest asparagus) and then sat down to figure out what to make with my new asparagus stalks.

I usually just roast my asparagus (450 for 25 minutes) with just salt, pepper & olive oil, but I wanted something…more.

 
 I found this recipe buried in one of my first ever recipe albums. I think it may have come from an old issue of Food Network magazine (circa 2009?) but I’m not sure. Anyway, I made three meals for my weekday lunches last weekend and this dish was the first to disappear.

I even ate it for breakfast, it was that good. 

Fettuccini with Asparagus and Gorgonzola Sauce

• 1 lb. asparagus
• 12 oz. fettuccini (uncooked) 
• 2 TBS. olive oil
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
• 2 TBS. dried parsley
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1.5 cups crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
• 1/2 tsp. Fresh ground pepper  

1. Break off tough ends of asparagus and cut into 1 inch long pieces. Meanwhile, cook pasta as package directs, adding asparagus during last five minutes of cooking time.   

2. In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook onions, parsley, and garlic in oil for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until onions are tender. Reduce heat to medium. 

 3. Add pasta, asparagus and cheese to the onion mixture. Cook, while tossing, for about 3 minutes until cheese is melted and pasta is evenly coated. Sprinkle with pepper. 

Flavor Profile: This dish tastes light yet filling. Gorgonzola is my favorite of all blue cheeses—it’s tangy but not overpowering like Roquefort. It pairs well with the asparagus; the quick-cooking makes the asparagus crisp yet tender. Geeze. I wish I had some more leftovers of this stuff. 

 Skill Level: Easy. If you can make spaghetti, you can make any pasta dish. Just make sure the pasta is al dente—takes about 8 minutes in boiling water. 

Versatility: If you’re on a low-fat diet, you could take out the cheese…but I can’t guarantee that it will taste very good. Most of the flavor of this dish comes from the cheese, so taking it out would make it quite bland. Sorry.

End Score: B+. I will most likely make this again, however good asparagus is only in season for a short period of time, so….we’ll see what happens.