Asparagus and tomato pasta with black pepper parmesan, avocado verde salad

Pull the verde and pickled onion from the fridge.

Remove the thyme leaves from any woody part of the stalk, then finely chop.

Finely chop the garlic.

Peel and remove the core from the avocado then dice it into small pieces. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

Cut off the bottom 3 cm of the asparagus and discard.

Fry the garlic in a large pot with a little oil and salt for 2 minutes on medium heat. Empty the tinned tomatoes into the pot and add about 1/3rd as much water.

Add the chopped thyme to the pot and turn down to a simmer for 15 minutes until the water is mostly reduced. Add half the lemon juice, season to taste and remove from heat.

Get a pot of salted water on medium/high heat for the pasta. When simmering, add the pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes until al dente.

Once the pasta is cooked, add it to the sauce and mix thoroughly.

Get a pan large enough for the asparagus on high heat with a little oil.

Fry the asparagus for 3-4 minutes, turning once or twice to colour it evenly.

Season before placing on a board and chopping the asparagus into thirds.

Add the asparagus to the pasta and lightly mix through, keeping some for the top if you’d like.

Place the lettuce leaves in a bowl and add the salsa verde, pickled onions and avocado.

Toss together.

Serve the pasta with the peppered parmesan on top and salad on the side.

Enjoy!