Fare ordine is a big thing in our house – it literally means to create order, or better, to tidy up. In practice, that means a great excuse to hoover up leftovers, as in “We should really eat that last piece of cake, just in the interests of fare ordine“. There’s no better time for these excuses than before going away and, as we’re nipping over to Miami for a week, there has been a lot of this kind of bitty, standing up eating recently. The great thing is that fare ordine is applicable at any time of day or night, even after tooth brushing or if you’re a bit peckish when lying in bed – after all, it is in the interest of keeping a clean, lovely house, and so supersedes minor details such as hygiene or actual hunger.
I also love to fare ordine just so I can have a bare fridge. (Possibly the thing I love most in the world, after tupperware of course, is cleaning the fridge. It’s like having a brand new, shiny toy and best of all it’s one that you can fill up with food and possibilities.) Another great application of the fare ordine principle is to say “Gosh, that huge bowl with the leftover trifle takes up far too much room in the fridge. It’s so impractical. I’ll just… mmmmmmm“.
This pasta was, then, born out of a very-nearly empty fridge and an impending departure, although the idea came from many sources: the River Cottage Everyday book (so great, and to which I will dedicate myself when we get back from Miami), Croissant & Parmesan, Simply Recipes and Closet Cooking.
Now, where are the rest of those caramelized oranges? It’s not that I’m hungry, but I should probably fare ordine, no?
Pasta with asparagus pesto
Serves 2
- 200g pasta, a shape that will hold a thick sauce, like penne
- 1 small fist sized bunch of asparagus – they don’t have to be superfresh, mine were decidedly fridgeweary and flaccid
- a small handful slivered almonds (or pinenuts, or walnuts…)
- a good handful of fresh herbs – I used flat-leaved parsley and basil
- Good, peppery green olive oil
- Salt
- Parmesan (although pecorino would be great too)
Get rid of any really woody asparagus stalk ends and reserve the tips. Steam or boil the stalks until tender, then chop roughly.
Toast the nuts in a dry pan until they have some colour, then process with the herbs, asparagus stalks, good grating of parmesan, salt and a generous glug of olive oil. Taste. Taste with a bit of bread, just to make sure. Add more salt, maybe pepper, maybe a squeeze of lemon, probably more cheese and oil.
Cook the pasta in lots of salted water until al dente, throwing in the asparagus tips about a minute before it’s ready. Try to remember to reserve a couple of ladlefuls of the pasta water to loosen the sauce. Toss the drained pasta with the pesto, slackening off the sauce with a little of the reserved water and olive oil as you see fit. Serve, with extra cheese and more oil. (No-one said fare ordine was easy on the lovehandles.)
2 Comments on "Pasta with asparagus pesto"
Thank for the link and the comment! I really liked the post about the shipments on Nassau, I laught at thinking about the rush to supermarkets… Ciaoooo
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! There’s always a shortage of something or other on the island – hazelnuts currently, which is thwarting my meringue/raspberry obsessions…