Simple asparagus pasta with peppers, pesto and sunflower seeds – asparagus with a twist

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500 g asparagus, white
• ½ jar cherry peppers, stuffed, pickled in oil
• 30 g sunflower seeds
• ½ cup of crème fraîche or sour cream
• 2 tbsp wild garlic pesto or another green pesto and chopped garlic
• 500 g spaghetti or tagliatelle pasta
• some oil for frying, e.g. paprika oil from the jar
• e.g. lemon juice
• salt and pepper
• chili powder
• Paprika powder
• nutmeg

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 25 minutes; Total time approx. 50 minutes

First, peel the asparagus and cut into pieces about 2-3 cm long, discarding any woody ends. Add the asparagus pieces to 1.5 liters of boiling salted water and cook for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, remove the cherry peppers from the oil and quarter them. When the asparagus is tender, remove the pieces from the water and set aside for a moment. Don’t throw away the water; cook the pasta in it straight away. Meanwhile, heat some of the paprika oil in a pan and add the asparagus pieces. Briefly fry, then add the pepper quarters. Sauté for a few minutes while stirring, then push the asparagus and pepper mix to the side in the pan and briefly toast the sunflower seeds in the newly created space. Then stir everything together, add the pesto, crème fraîche, and a squeeze of lemon juice. When the pasta is al dente, drain it, add it to the pan, stir everything together, and season with salt, pepper, chili, paprika, and nutmeg. Serve and you’re done.