May is a great time to follow the time-old advice and eat some greens! Spring is for eating fresh vegetables, with many greens coming into season such as broccoli, spinach, asparagus, watercress and spring onions. Alongside these, Jersey Royal potatoes will be at their best.
This Griddled Asparagus with Spinach Tagliatelle and Watercress Pesto recipe uses three spring vegetables: asparagus, watercress and spinach. It’s not only vibrant and colourful, but nourishing too. Rich in vitamins A and C this simple pasta dish has a real nutritional kick!
Spring greens
- Versatile spinach is popular in many cuisines across the world, from salads, curries and pizza toppings to homemade green pesto and sauces. Although spinach is available all year round, it is at its most tender in the spring.
- Watercress starts its season in May and will keep going until December. You may have used it in salads and soups before, but putting it in a pesto adds a peppery twist that compliments simple pasta well.
- With a short season for the best crops, asparagus (between April and June) needs to be cooked properly to get the most out of it. Drizzle with oil then season to taste before lightly frying or griddling for maximum flavour.
These three vegetables each have short shelf-lives and need to be used quickly before they wilt. This recipe calls for frozen spinach which can be supermarket-bought or you can freeze it yourself to use up any spinach beginning to wilt. It’s best to plan when using these ingredients to help avoid food waste.
Tuck into these recipes which use also spring greens
