Asparagus Lasagna
by Caren McSherry
Open stacked asparagus lasagna. Pasta does not always have to be a bowl of noodles tossed in sauce, nor a stuffed and sealed packet. This relatively easy dish brings lots of flavour to focus on the asparagus, the presentation and not the noodle. It is the season of asparagus so eat with gusto. This is a first course meant to tease the rest of your dinner.
Ingredients:
- 6 flat sheet lasagna noodles cooked al dente and kept warm
- 3 teaspoons unsalted butter
- 3 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 large shallots, minced
- 2 large garlic clove mince
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup sweet white wine (sherry, port, Madeira)
- 20 tight tipped asparagus spears, tough ends snapped off
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Fleur de sel to taste
- Fresh ground pepper taste
- 1 cup fresh shaved Parmesan Cheese
- 1/3 cup chopped tarragon
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
Method:
1. Heat a 9-inch nonstick sauté pan, add the butter, oil, shallots and garlic, simmer on medium heat until soft but not brown. Add the mustard, wine and simmer until the wine is reduced to half. Add the cream and cook for 5-8 minutes or until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
2. Add the zest, salt, and pepper to taste. Set aside. This can be made a day ahead and refrigerated.
3. To serve, cut the lasagna sheets in half, ladle a small spoon of the sauce on your serving plate, place the 1/2 piece of noodle down, lay 2 asparagus spears on top. Ladle 2 tablespoons of sauce over and top with the other half of the pasta sheet. Top with 2 more asparagus spears, ladle a bit more sauce over top. Add the last half sheet, top with the remaining 1 asparagus.
4. Mix together the chopped tarragon and parsley, give a good sprinkle over the entire plate and crown with the shaved Parmesan cheese.
Note: if fresh tarragon is not available, simply use all parsley.
Serves 4
Copyright (c) Caren McSherry 04/2019
2. Add the zest, salt, and pepper to taste. Set aside. This can be made a day ahead and refrigerated.
3. To serve, cut the lasagna sheets in half, ladle a small spoon of the sauce on your serving plate, place the 1/2 piece of noodle down, lay 2 asparagus spears on top. Ladle 2 tablespoons of sauce over and top with the other half of the pasta sheet. Top with 2 more asparagus spears, ladle a bit more sauce over top. Add the last half sheet, top with the remaining 1 asparagus.
4. Mix together the chopped tarragon and parsley, give a good sprinkle over the entire plate and crown with the shaved Parmesan cheese.
Note: if fresh tarragon is not available, simply use all parsley.
Serves 4
Copyright (c) Caren McSherry 04/2019
