Gently poached asparagus great way to celebrate season
Nothing is more springtime than a dish of asparagus, pea and salmon pasta
Shopping for produce is more exciting now that more local crops are starting to pop up. One of my favourites is asparagus, the nutty and crunchy green spears that indicate spring is truly here and that summer is just around the corner.
Depending on my mood, there are two main ways I like to prepare asparagus. One is tossing them in olive oil, salt and pepper then roasting them at 400 F (200 C) for 30 minutes in the oven. The tips become crispy and slightly charred while the stems become tender and meaty. Eat them right away when hot, or refrigerate and toss them into a salad or add them to an antipasto platter.
My second favourite way of cooking asparagus is simply poaching them for a few minutes and pairing the spears with salmon, green peas and a bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice. While roasting brings out the vegetable’s nutty flavour, poaching highlights asparagus’ slightly grassier notes, which is why I opted for this cooking method to get into the warm-weather mood. This also tastes great as a cold pasta salad, but I would substitute spaghetti for penne or rotini to make it easier to eat at the office.
You can also sous-vide the salmon instead of poaching, which will yield a more delicate, almost sashimi-like texture, but this is the quicker 30minute version.
Poached Salmon and Asparagus Pasta
Star Tested 1-4oz skinless, boneless salmon filet 2-3 sprigs fresh dill, plus more for garnish Cold water 2 tbsp plus 2 tsp (40 mL) fresh lemon juice Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 6 to 8 asparagus spears, woody ends trimmed 1/3 cup (80 mL) frozen peas 2 oz (60 g) whole wheat spaghettini or spaghetti 3 tbsp (45 mL) olive oil 1 garlic clove, minced In a large saucepan, place salmon and dill sprigs. Add enough cold water to cover salmon. Add 2 tablespoons (30 mL) lemon juice and a generous pinch of salt. Turn heat to medium and let liquid come to a steady simmer. Cook salmon uncovered for 8 minutes, or until the centre is slightly pink. About 3 minutes before salmon is done, add asparagus. About 1 minute before salmon is done, add frozen peas.
Remove dill sprigs and discard. Drain and set aside salmon, peas and asparagus. Slice asparagus into 1-inch pieces and, with a fork, tear cooked salmon into bite-sized pieces.
Add water to pan and bring to a boil over high heat.
Season water with salt and cook pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
In a saucepan, add oil and garlic. Bring to medium heat until garlic starts to sizzle. Add cooked pasta, peas and salmon. Toss to lightly coat. Season with 2 teaspoons (10 mL) lemon juice and salt and pepper, to taste.
Transfer to plate, garnish with chopped dill and serve immediately.
Makes one serving. karonliu@thestar.ca