From The Chef

In general, Sauvignon Blanc is my favorite wine to serve with asparagus (a notoriously tricky vegetable to pair with wine). The Uproot Sauvignon Blanc was a beautiful match because its citrus and green grassy flavors complemented the lemony asparagus. To enhance the pairing, I used a small amount of the wine in the pasta sauce, and added wine-friendly mushrooms, parmesan, and ricotta to round out the flavors.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 large garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• 5 anchovy fillets, finely minced or mashed to a paste
• 1 large leek, white and light green parts only, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced into thin half moons
• 12 oz mushrooms, trimmed and sliced (use your favorite variety)
• 2 bunches of asparagus (about 1.5 pounds), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces on the bias
• 1/2 cup sauvignon blanc
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Juice and zest of 2 lemons (1 tablespoon of juice reserved for herbed ricotta)
• 1 pound spaghetti, linguine or pasta of choice
• ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped tarragon
• 1 tablespoons finely chopped mint
• 3/4 cup ricotta, cool or room temperature
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Method

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. In a large sauté pan, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and anchovy and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the leek and mushrooms, and cook, stirring, until they start to soften, 3-4 minutes. Add the asparagus, tossing well to combine. Cook for another minute, then add the wine. Let simmer until the asparagus is crisp-tender; the wine should reduce but not cook off. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Turn off heat, and stir in butter and lemon zest. Toss until the butter melts and evenly coats the vegetables. Cover and set aside.
3. Boil pasta to al dente. While it cooks, mix ricotta, tarragon, and mint in a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to loosen.
4. Return the sauté pan to medium-low heat. Drain pasta, reserving cooking water, and add it to the vegetable mixture. Toss well. Add parmesan, half of the lemon juice, and toss again. Taste, and add more lemon juice, salt and pepper as needed. Add reserved cooking water, a little at a time, if the pasta seems dry.
5. At the table, top each plate of pasta with a big dollop of herbed ricotta.
6. Pour yourself a glass of Uproot and Enjoy!