Asparagus pasta with crème fraîche sauce

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 500 g asparagus, white
• 1 tsp butter
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove(s), finely sliced
• 200 g pasta
• 200 g crème fraîche
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• salt and pepper
• 1 handful of basil, freshly chopped
• 1 handful of wild garlic, finely chopped, alternatively finely chopped garlic
• 3 slice(s) of cooked ham, if desired

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 20 minutes

Peel the asparagus, trim the ends, and cut the spears into three or four pieces, depending on their thickness and length. Bring a pot of salted water with sugar and butter to a boil. Cook the thicker ends for about 5 minutes, then add the thinner pieces and the heads and simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile, gently heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and fry a thinly sliced ​​garlic clove. When the asparagus is almost cooked, fish it out, add it to the garlic oil, and fry. Add the pasta to the asparagus water and cook until al dente. Meanwhile, mix 150-200g crème fraîche with about 1 teaspoon honey and a teaspoon lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the basil and wild garlic. The mixture should have a tangy sweet and sour flavor. When the pasta is cooked, drain it, add it to the pan with the asparagus, and mix well. If available and desired, cut two or three slices of cooked ham into strips and add them. Divide them between two plates and top with the crème fraîche mixture. There’s no sauce in the traditional sense; instead, the pasta and asparagus are coated in a cream. If using green asparagus, you can skip the peeling, and you can also use garlic instead of wild garlic, even fresh, young garlic.