Tagliatelli with green asparagus
June is the exam time for lots of adolescents and young adults; a time marked with stress and low energy. Parents share this stress and feel the load of the school year on their shoulders as well.
This is the time to prepare a good pasta to reload our internal batteries. White pastas are medium-acting carbohydrates and therefore good to eat for lunch if you have an afternoon exam. Whole-wheat pasta, however, is a slow released carbohydrate, meaning that the glucose contained in the carbohydrates is absorbed more slowly in the body without causing rapid insulin spikes. Exactly what you need during a long exam period. (Of course you can opt for a gluten-free pasta if necessary, they come in many varieties these days.)
Spring time is also asparagus time. So, take a break and go to the weekend market to buy some fresh green asparagus, basil and parsley. Maybe you have already some herbs in the garden or in the window box. If not, rather than buying cut herbs, buy a little plant with roots and give it a nice place in your house. If you give it some love, it will serve you the whole summer.
Stress is often accompanied by constipation, that’s when the asparagus comes as a great help! Because of its high amount of fibers, asparagus will help your stool transit.
Asparagus also has an “irrigation therapy”, meaning that it increases urine output and it is used to treat urinary tract infections and helps to reduce pain and swelling.
Asparagus are also rich in the antioxidant Sulphur.
Some side effects of asparagus
– Asparagus gives a foul smelling urine due to the Sulphur minerals it contains.
– During breastfeeding you may better avoid eating asparagus as it plays a role in affecting the hormones. However, no solid scientific evidence exists to explain this.
– Since the high fructose content in asparagus, it is not advisable to eat for people with IBS.
Ingredients for 4 persons
- 500 g whole weat Tagliatelli (glutenfree if neccesary)
- 500 g asparagus
- 40 g ghee
- 2 soup spoons parsley, freshly cut
- 2 soup spoons basil, freshly cut
- 400 ml crème of your chose (full, half full, coconut, or any other you prefer)
- salt & pepper
- 100 g grounded parmesan
- Optional: some pine nuts or sunflower seeds
Instructions
Cut the asparagus in pieces.
Hack the persley and basil fine.
Cook the tagliatelli “al dente” in salted water, respecting the prescribed cooking time.
Meanwhile let some ghee melt in a frying pan and let the pieces of asparagus simmer for about 10 minutes in the ghee untill they are soft.
Add basil and persley, salt & pepper and the crème of choice.
Drain the tagliatelli and put the pasta on plates.
Serve the asparagus mixture over the pasta and sprinkle some parmesan on top.
Optional: sprinkle some pine nuts or sunflower seeds on top of each dish.
Place some additional parmesan on the table, so everybody can add as much as they wish.
Bon appetite!
