Piccata Pasta w/ Shaved Asparagus

 
PiccataPasta_Detail1.jpg
 
 

When I was in college, my grandma and I used to meet for lunch at the Cheesecake factory about once a month. We both ordered the same thing: chicken piccata. Only, my chicken was always substituted with spears of asparagus. (I shouldn’t have had the pasta, but as cheater meals go, there were much worse offenses). I created this dish in memory of those moments and my favorite piccata flavor. Surprisingly, it’s even better than the original!

 

Phe Count:

104 mg / serving
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp butter    
1.5 tsp tapioca flour
1 C vegetable broth
2 garlic cloves
¼ C lemon juice
1 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp capers (with juice)   
8 spears of asparagus, shave  
3.5 servings of Aproten low-protein pasta (your choice of noodle)
2 tsp chopped parsley, fresh  
1 tsp lemon zest
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

  1. In a medium saucepan, saute garlic in butter until it starts to lose its color and become transparent. (about 1 minute)

  2. Add olive oil and tapioca flour. It will begin to thicken into a paste. Continue cooking the mixture until it begins to change color, golden.

  3. Gradually add in the vegetable broth, stirring to combine. Then, add the lemon juice and stir over medium heat until slightly reduced.

  4. Add capers and caper juice, then set sauce aside.

  5. Set a large pot of water on the stove to boil. While you wait, prepare the asparagus. First, bend each spear to snap off the tough, woody end. You will shave the remaining (tender) part of each spear with a vegetable peeler. Hold the asparagus at the cut end, and use the peeler to slice away from your hand, with steady, even pressure. Continue shaving the asparagus until the whole stalk has been ribboned. If some of the tips fall off as you work, don’t discard. Add them to the ribbon mix. Soon, you will have a pile of shaved asparagus.

  6. When the water comes to a boil, cook the pasta to package instructions. When the noodles are still aldente, remove them from the stove and use a colander to strain.

  7. Return your sauce to the burner, over medium heat. When it is hot, toss the pasta in the sauce so it’s evenly coated. Then, add asparagus ribbons and toss until everything is well-mixed. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often.

  8. Divide into two portions and top with lemon zest and chopped parsley to serve.


Note: Aproten pasta’s serving size is a bit small for me, so I usually go for 1.5 servings to make it a bigger meal. If you reduce to a single serving, I recommend keeping the same amount of sauce.


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