Fettucine and Asparagus with Lemon Vodka Sauce

I've paired vodka with lemon for many of the recipes in The Vodka Cookbook. And for good reason. Vodka seems to bring out the best in citrus. In this creation, lemon melds with vodka to create a light pasta and asparagus dish.

Fettucine and Asparagus with Lemon Vodka Sauce (from John Rose, author, The Vodka Cookbook)

2 large lemons
350ml (12fl oz) heavy cream
4 tablespoons Lemon Peel Vodka (p.142) or lemon-infused vodka
2 tablespoons coarse salt
450g (1lb) fettucine
1 tablespoon butter
225g (8oz) asparagus, cut into 3cm (1 inch) pieces
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons fresh parsley -- chopped
175g (6oz) Parmesan cheese – freshly grated

1. Grate the zest from 1 lemon, squeeze out the juice and set aside. Slice the other lemon and reserve as a garnish.
2. Combine the cream and vodka in a medium-size skillet and simmer for 5 minutes, or until it thickens.
3. Meanwhile, bring about 4 litres (7 pints) of water to a boil, add the salt, and cook the pasta at a rapid boil until 'al dente' – about 8-10 minutes.
4. Heat butter in a medium sauté pan over a moderate heat and cook asparagus until softened, but crisp – about 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the cooked asparagus, lemon juice and zest to the vodka sauce and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
6. Drain the pasta (reserving some of the water), add to the sauce and toss. Season with pepper, garnish with the parsley and sliced lemon and serve immediately on warmed plates. Serve the Parmesan separately.

Serves 4-6

If the pasta is dry, add some of the reserved pasta water.

Comments

[Catherine]

I'm always on the look for interesting, cool cooking blogs and I have to say that I really dig yours! Keep up the great work!