It's summer somewhere........

I've been feeling lately that my food hasn't been leaving a big enough carbon footprint lately. That's why last night, rather than trying to convince myself that those pencil thin stalks of asparagus at QFC were from some local greenhouse (local...at $1.99/#...sure), I just grabbed what I needed without thinking about jet fuel, ozone depletion, and the fact that there was a good chance some 6-year old picker was shuffling sadly through the fields from whence this came (I mean who's hands are better suited to deftly plucking these slender stalks than a 6-year old, right?). I went home and with, okay, maybe a tinge of guilt, and set about chopping and combining with some smoked salmon (excellent smoked coho from Trader Joe's) and some fresh tagliatelle from Pastaworks. The result? A dish that inspired w's initial comment "This seems so summery". Well...duh...it IS summer wherever this asparagus came from! I actually didn't say that. I have to admit I didn't even think that. I wish I would have but that response just came to me. Rats, another missed opportunity! I found the basis for this pasta (that tastes pretty effing good in mid-winter, fyi) on epicurious, and twisted it ever so slightly to amp up the flavor quotient. It was super fast, terribly easy, and incredibly delicious. I popped the cork on a 2008 Antoine Simoneau Touraine-Sauvignon Blanc from the mecca of sauv blanc, France's Loire Valley. The wine was spectacular with this dish. The citrusy, minerally, racy sauv blanc flavors pairing perfectly with the briny-smoky salmon and cutting right through the rich lemon-cream sauce and washing away those remaining flashes of guilt. Man, I dig it when it all works out!
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Tagliatelle in Lemon Cream Sauce with Asparagus and Smoked Salmon
adapted from epicurious
yield: Serves 4 as a main course

ingredients:
1 pound asparagus
2 large shallots
2 lemons
6 ounces smoked salmon
1 pound dried Tagliatelle (pappardelle or fettuccine would work just as well)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup heavy cream

method:
1-Trim asparagus and diagonally cut into 1" thick slices. Finely chop shallots. Finely grate enough lemon zest to measure about 1 tablesppoon (a little extra is not a problem) and squeeze enough juice to measure 4 or 5 tablespoons. Cut salmon into 2 x 1/2-inch strips.

2-Fill a 6-quart pasta pot three fourths full with salted water and bring to a boil for asparagus and pasta. Have ready a bowl of ice and cold water. Cook asparagus in boiling water until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes, and with a slotted spoon transfer to ice water to stop cooking. Reserve water in pot over low heat, covered. Drain asparagus and set aside some asparagus tips for garnish.

3-In a deep 12-inch heavy skillet cook shallots in butter with salt and pepper to taste over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in cream and zest and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in 3 tablespoons lemon juice and remove skillet from heat. Return water in pot to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water, stirring occasionally, until al dente and ladle out and reserve 1 cup pasta water. Drain pasta in a colander and add to sauce with asparagus, 1/2 cup pasta water, three fourths salmon, remaining lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Heat mixture over low heat, gently tossing (and adding more remaining pasta water as needed if mixture becomes dry), until just heated through.

4-Serve pasta garnished with reserved asparagus tips and remaining salmon.

Eating spring: Asparagus, Meyer Lemon, and Pancetta Pasta

Every time I wander out in the backyard behind the wine shack, I always look longingly at my beloved dwarf Meyer lemon tree. I get excited by it not only because I love the bright, happy yellow fruit that hangs from it, but also I love the fact that I can grow any kind of citrus here in soggy Portland (this spring especially... this weather has been fucking brutal!). It's been producing a bounty of lemons lately, and I'm always trying to come up with new ways to use them. I've had following rolling around my food-obsessed dome for a couple of weeks now, and last night was the time to put it to the test. I had this feeling that the sweetly tart Meyers would get along perfectly with fresh spring asparagus, plus I have several chunks of portioned out pancetta just waiting in my freezer at home and any opportunity to use the glory that is a cured pork product is one not to pass up!

So after remarkably little effort and a kitchen filled with this mixture of head swirling and appetite inducing scents...garlic infused olive olive oil, fried pancetta, tart-sweet citrus....I have to say that this was absolutely freaking delicious and racked up a huge score on my pleasure meter. Served alongside a crisp bottle of Sancerre, this was food and wine heaven!
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Asparagus, Meyer Lemon, and Pancetta Pasta
serves 4

ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Four or five smashed, peeled garlic cloves
1 Meyer lemon, cut into thin slices and chopped up, saving the juices
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut on the bias into 1" pieces
4 to 5 ounces pancetta, chopped into 1/4" dice
3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 pound dried pasta
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

method:
1-Put large pasta pot with water on to boil. When it comes to a boil, add three tablespoons salt and pasta and cook to desired doneness (I admit, I'm not a big al dente guy).

2-Put olive oil into large non-stick sauté pan over medium-high heat, add garlic cloves and let them infuse oil, turning occasionally. Remove cloves when they turn golden brown (do not let them burn!). Add chopped pancetta and fry until crisp, approximately 8 minutes. When pancetta is crisp, carefully drain off about half of rendered fat.

3-While pancetta is cooking bring small saucepan of salted water to boil. When it comes to a boil, add asparagus and cook for three minutes. Quickly remove from heat and dump into ice bath to stop cooking. Set aside.

4-When pancetta is done, turn heat down to medium-low and add lemon (with the juices) and asparagus and heat through for a couple of minutes. When pasta is done, drain and return to pasta pot and add pancetta mixture. Add 1/2 cup grated cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine. Serve immediately, passing remaining cheese for sprinkling on top.