Asparagus
and pesto pasta

150g (5oz) penne pasta
1 x 250g bundle asparagus spears, woody ends cut off and discarded
2 tablespoons pesto sauce
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 x 20g pack fresh flat-leaf parsley, stalks removed and leaves coarsely chopped
grated zest 1 lemon
120ml (4fl oz) vegetable stock
parmesan, grated, to serve
salt and freshly ground black pepper


What to do:

Begin by soft-boiling the eggs. Place them in a small pan of cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for 4 minutes. Then drain and cover with cold water to stop the eggs cooking. On a chopping board, line up the asparagus spears with the heads all facing in the same direction. Then cut each spear on the diagonal into 2.5cm (1 in) pieces. Take care to leave the heads whole - they look pretty and there is no need to slice into them. Add the pasta to a large saucepan of boiling salted water. Stir as the water reboils and cook the pasta for 8-10 minutes (or according to pack instructions), until al dente, then drain.
Meanwhile, place the frying pan over a medium heat. Add the olive oil, garlic and parsley and stir for a few moments to flavour the oil. Now add the asparagus and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Add the drained pasta, grated lemon zest and vegetable stock. Stir, cover and allow the mixture to simmer for a further 5 minutes. Now remove the lid - the asparagus will be tender and the pasta will have absorbed most of the stock. Add the pesto and toss until the pasta is evenly coated. Season well with pepper and toss again. Carefully peel the eggs-remember, they will be a little soft in the middle - and cut each one in half.
Spoon the pasta and stir-fried asparagus into 2 hot serving bowls. Add 2 egg halves to each and serve with the grated parmesan to sprinkle over.