Stilton, Asparagus and Cherry Tomato Tagliatelle


British Cheese
  • 350 g (12 oz) tagliatelle or linguine
  • 150 g (6 oz) asparagus, cut into short lengths
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 6 spring onions, chopped finely
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 25g (1oz) dried breadcrumbs
  • 12 cherry tomatoes
  • 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
  • 100g (4oz) half fat creme fraiche
  • 100g Stilton, broken into small chunks
  • Basil leaves to garnish
British Cheese

Did you know that Stilton is a protected name?

That’s right, the blue cheese can only be called Stilton if it is made in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Leicestershire. It’s also only made by 6 dairies in the world, who churn out an estimated 1 million cheeses per year!

A 17lb Stilton is made up of 136 pints of milk!

Not that you’d need that much stilton for this recipe, but keep a little extra to enjoy with a delicious wine another day!

 

  • Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water for 10 to 12 minutes, or according to pack instructions, adding the asparagus for the final 2 to 3 minutes.
  • At the same time, heat the oil in a non-stick frying-pan and add the spring onions and garlic. Cook over a low heat, stirring often, for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the breadcrumbs and stir over the heat for about 30 seconds. Set aside.
  • When the pasta and asparagus mixture is cooked, drain it well, then return it to the saucepan and add the cherry tomatoes, lemon zest, creme fraiche and Stilton.
  • Heat gently for 2 to 3 minutes, then share between 4 plates and sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture on top.
  • Serve, seasoned with black pepper and garnished with basil leaves.