Tagliatelle with asparagus and mushrooms

Spaghetti carbonara is a classic dish, but what if you want a dish that is vegetarian and fairly healthy? Clearly the answer is not carbonara. This dish though, is maybe the next best thing. The mushrooms give it loads of flavour, then you have the luxury of the new season asparagus.

Although there are plenty of variants that include cream, the classic version of carbonara is made just with beaten eggs and grated pecorino (or parmesan). I've followed that route here, so it's not too high in fat. Yes, there is cheese, but you don't need loads of parmesan for a delicious effect.

I like to serve this with a salad of baby spinach leaves, cucumber, red peppers and cherry tomatoes - then I can feel pretty virtuous about it all.

Ingredients

200g dried egg tagliatelle
200g button or chestnut mushrooms
1 clove garlic
200g asparagus, tough ends removed and cut into short lengths
2 eggs, beaten
30g parmesan or pecorino, grated

Method

Wash and slice the mushrooms. Finely chop the garlic. Add the mushrooms and garlic to a non-stick pan (you can spray it lightly with oil, though this may not be necessary if your non-stick coating is good). Cook for a couple of minutes.

Cook the tagliatelle according to packet instructions, adding the chopped asparagus a couple of minutes before the end.

Drain the cooked pasta and asparagus and quickly beat in the beaten eggs and grated cheese. Aim to stir the egg in quickly so it doesn't scramble. Mix in the mushrooms.

Serve right away, with extra parmesan if you wish, and a mixed salad on the side.