Lemon Asparagus & Artichoke Farfalle

It was hot the day I made this: hot and muggy and I was distinctly lacking in cooking motivation so I opted for pasta - one of the easiest things to fall back on when you just can’t really be bothered, in my opinion.

I have a document on my laptop just for pasta recipes and a board on pinterest too - we have pasta weekly so it makes sense that I have a lot of inspiration to keep things interesting. And the inspiration for this one can be found here. The original called for making a white sauce with flour, butter & milk but I opted for half fat crème fraîche and egg instead for the creamy sauce. A trick I had employed previously in fact in this pasta recipe.


Lemon Artichoke & Asparagus Farfalle
serves 2

150g farfalle pasta
½ tin artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed & quartered
10-15 asparagus tips, cut in 1-1½ in lengths
½ tbsp lemon juice + ½ tsp lemon zest
white wine
knob of butter
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 egg yolk
2 heaped tbsp crème fraîche
sea salt + freshly ground black pepper to taste
shaved parmesan or pecorino

Whisk together the yolk and crème fraîche in a small bowl and set aside.

Cook the pasta according to packet instructions.

Meanwhile, spray a large pan or non stick skillet with cooking spray. Add artichoke hearts, lemon juice, and lemon zest and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Add asparagus with a splash of white wine and cook another 2-4 minutes until tender, stirring throughout.

Remove asparagus & artichoke from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add butter and garlic to pan and stir for 1 minute until garlic is fragrant.

Tip in the pasta and pour over the crème fraîche, stirring to coat the pasta in the sauce. Carefully stir in the artichokes and asparagus.

Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with parmesan cheese.

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Baked Haddock with Pea Salad

I first saw a picture of this on Pinterest and then the recipe here. I’ve adapted it slightly by adding some sunblush tomatoes to the salad and using haddock instead of sole but otherwise it is much the same.

A nice summery meal - and I cooked it at the height of summer although looking out the window you wouldn’t have believed it and I’d had to shut the windows and put my thick socks on for the first time in weeks.

I also served this with some steamed & buttered new potatoes but to really keep this light you can easily do without.


Baked Haddock with Pea Salad
serves 2

2 haddock fillets
zest & juice of ½ lemon
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
100g frozen peas thawed
salt and pepper to taste
4spring onions, chopped
½ red pepper, chopped
40g sunblush tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped

In a small bowl add the crushed garlic, 1 ½ tbsp of olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk together well then pour over the fish in a baking dish. Make sure the fish is fully coated with the marinade then cover the dish with cling and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Place the fish in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until done.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a sauté pan and add the chopped onion and red pepper. Saute for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are softened.

Add the lemon zest, a pinch of salt and pepper, and the thawed peas to the skillet and saute for another 5 to 8 minutes, adding the tomatoes for the last few minutes.

Remove from the heat and add the dill, mixing well.

To serve divide the pea salad between two plates and place a fish fillet on top of each.

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