Hello lovelies, I have a new recipe for you, a very simple one but with a lot of flavor: Mediterranean pasta with asparagus and tomatoes. A really tasty pasta doesn’t need many ingredients, just a few selected, aromatic foods that give the dish that certain something. And very important are the right herbs and spices. I am very pleased that I was able to create this dish in collaboration with Knorr Switzerland*.
There is a new line of spices from Knorr Switzerland, all made from 100% natural ingredients. In addition they have no added salt (except umami) and they really get along without "chi-chi". You can actually taste that. I used the Knorr Mediterranean for the pasta with asparagus and tomatoes. The fine herbs such as thyme and rosemary go perfectly with noodles.
In the next few weeks I will introduce you to more spices of this line. Beside the mediterranean there are 10 others like porcini, chili, vegetables, tomato, garlic, umami and more, so there is something for every taste.
But now to the delicious and simple pasta dish. Garlic, shallots, aromatic tomatoes and fine asparagus tips, you don’t really need much more. Of course you will need to add your favorite pasta noodles, which is entirely up to your preferences. I chose a wide variety of Parpadelle, which was very delicious.
Recipe
Here is the recipe for Mediteraneean pasta with asparagus and tomatoes:
Mediterranean pasta with asparagus and tomatoes
Ingredients
- 250 gr 9 oz. green asparagus tips or asparagus
- 350 gr 12 oz. pasta noodles
- 300 gr 10.5 oz. cocktail tomatoes
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 shallots
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 pinches of sugar
- 3 tsp Knorr Mediterran
- 150 ml 3/4 cup pasta water
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1-2 tsp creme fraiche vegan
- 50 gr 1/2 cup pine nuts
- Vegan parmesan
- Fresh basil
Instructions
- Roast the pine nuts in a pan without oil
- Cut the asparagus tips in half (if you use the whole asparagus, cut off the wooden ends and then cut them in pieces)
- Cut the tomatoes in half
- Finely chop garlic and shallots and sauté them in olive oil
- Add the tomatoes and roast them for about 2-3 minutes
- Add the asparagus, 2 pinches of sugar and keep roasting for an additional 5-10 minutes
- Season with 3 tsp Knorr Mediterran
- Boil the noodles according to the packet instructions and save approx. ¾ cup pasta water
- When the noodles are ready, add the pasta water to the tomatoes and asparagus
- Boil briefly and add the noodles. Then stir in 1-2 tsp creme fraiche
- Season with salt and pepper
- Serve with fresh basil, parmesan and pine nuts
It gets really creamy by using the pasta water, which absorbs the starch, so you don’t have to add any cream. The spoonful of cream fraiche could even be left out. The pasta water also ensures that the sauce and the fine spices stick particularly well to the pasta. This is a great trick if you don’t want heavy sauces and really want to put the flavors of the ingredients and herbs in the foreground.
What I like especially about the Knorr Mediterranean spice in addition to the delicious taste, is that you can really see which ingredients were used. They aren’t too small, you can actually see real pieces of rosemary, thyme and tomatoes. Perfect for adding a Mediterranean touch to a dish.
I hope I was able to make you want this simple and tasty combination. Quick on the table and deliciously mediterranean spiced, this pasta will be well received for sure! I'm really looking forward to surprising you with more dishes with the new Knorr spices.
Love, Verena
*This blog post was created in collaboration with Knorr Switzerland – the recipes are my own.
This post is also available in: deutsch
