Recipe: Fettuccine Bechamel with Broiled Asparagus, Lemon and Parsley

FETTUCCINE BECHAMEL WITH BROILED ASPARAGUS,
LEMON AND PARSLEY

"Broiling is a very way to cook asparagus; it is easier than boiling or steaming it, and the result is excellent. If you want to save a few calories, though, better boil or steam it."

14 ounces fettucine, uncooked
Salt
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and halved to make pieces approx. 2 inches long
Olive oil
1 quantity of bechamel sauce or low-fat bechamel sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
Squeeze of lemon juice, optional
Finely shredded rind of 1 lemon* and flakes of Parmesan cheese, to serve

1. First fill a large saucepan with 4 quarts of water and bring to a boil over high heat for the pasta.

2. When the water boils, add the pasta along with a tablespoon of salt and give the pasta a quick stir. Briefly put the lid on until it starts to lift, showing that the water has come back to a boil, then let the pasta bubble away, uncovered, for about 8 minutes, or until it is tender but still has some bite to it.

3. Meanwhile, brush the asparagus with a little olive oil and broil under high heat until tender and lightly browned: 6-8 minutes, turning the asparagus over halfway through.

4. Heat the bechamel sauce through gently. Check the seasoning, adding pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice to taste if it needs it.

5. Drain the pasta by tipping it all into a colander placed in the sink, then put it back into the still-warm pan. Either add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pasta, serve it on warm plates and spoon the sauce on top; or add the sauce directly to the pasta, toss gently and serve on warm plates. Top with the asparagus and lemon zest (rind). Scatter with Parmesan, grind black pepper over and serve at once.

*A citrus zester is quite cheap to buy and very useful. Grasp the lemon, or other citrus fruit, and run the zester firmly down its skin to produce long slim ribbons of zest with no pith attached. If you do not have a zester, pare off thin slices of skin with a potato peeler, then cut into thin shreds.

Excerpted from Vegetarian Pasta by Rose Elliot
Copyright 1997 by Rose Elliot. Excerpted by permission of Random House, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.