Aglio e Olio with Asparagus, Lemon & Breadcrumbs

Aglio e Olio with Asparagus, Lemon & Breadcrumbs is my favorite simple pasta. Plus, anytime I have an excuse to use bucatini, I’m happy. I am sure that I have mentioned this many times on this blog but I grew up eating Italian food, and I mean like, solely Italian food, for about the first ten years of my life. My mother is an incredible cook… now. Her mom, my most favorite woman to have ever walked this earth, was not an incredible cook. Crappy food… crappy German food. Need I say more?

My other grandmother, though not Italian, was married to my grandpa, Paul. An Italian who told us we were french. Long story. I didn’t find out I was Italian until I was sixteen. I chose French as my second language because that is what I thought I was. Well, now, thanks to Ancestry.com, I am aware that I am actually twenty-two percent Italian and that my family came from southern Italy, specifically, Calabria, Italy. Shockingly, I am French, too. A whopping twelve percent. 😉 All from spitting into a tube and mailing it back. If you haven’t done DNA testing, it’s pretty rad.

Anyway, about fifteen years ago my second cousin gave me a list with the names of my grandpa and his eleven, yes, ELEVEN, other siblings. His name was really Paulo, and his siblings were Gaetano, Carmella, Octtalia, Dominick, Rossina, etc. You get the drift. Super “French” sounding names, right? 😉

My Italian grandpa’s wife, Norma, whom I lived with when she passed; a beautifully talented and artistic soul, learned to make Italian food for her husband. They had lived in Sorrento, Italy for a bit while my grandfather was penning a book that my father tells me was about politics… possibly, in rhyme. I’d love to have a copy of that. My grandma gifted my mother a cookbook with typed out recipes on index cards. And this, friends, is what I was fed for a decade until my mother expanded outwards. Puttanesca and Aglio e Olio defined my childhood. This would also explain my unbreakable love for carbohydrates.

I’ve taken the classic Aglio e Olio and jazzed it up with asparagus, lemon, bread crumbs, capers, and yes, vegan parm. I read that parmesan is not really meant to be part of an Italian dish like this (with heat), but like my life’s mantra always says, “Fuck it.” On that note, have a fabulous vegan Tofurky day! Eat, drink, and be merry. Mangia! Salute!

PS- One of my favorite Louis Prima songs. Popped into my head right away when I was thinking about what song I should add to this post. 🙂

Aglio e Olio with Asparagus, Lemon & Breadcrumbs

Ingredients:

2 cups toasted breadcrumbs – I used Panko

1/3 cup olive oil

1 cup vegan parmesan cheese – I used Follow Your Heart (my new fave)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices

1 lb. bucatini pasta

8 cloves (1 bulb) garlic – chopped

1-2 tsp crushed red pepper (depending on your personal heat index)

3 Tbl capers – roughly chopped

1 lemon – juiced

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, oregano, and basil – chopped finely. You can use all three as I did or use just one. You could also add thyme or rosemary pending upon your taste.

Directions:

Cook bucatini in salted water – save 1/2 C pasta water

In a steamer set over boiling water, steam asparagus, covered, until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Rinse with cold water and drain well.

In a large pan, heat the olive oil on low-medium. Add the garlic, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper, and capers. Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the white wine and stir the pan for a minute. Reduce heat to medium-low.

Add asparagus, pasta water, lemon juice, and herbs. Turn off heat. Toss the pasta in until coated – about 1 to 2 minutes. Top with the vegan parmesan and breadcrumbs. I threw some sun-dried tomatoes on the center top of the bowl for my photos.

Wine pairings:

Sparkling brut wine or pinot noir

To contrast the tangy flavor, try a french chardonnay