Spaghetti with Chili and Asparagus

I'm trying new things this month - and one of those is stepping outside of my comfort zone with things like food spiciness.  I've never been a fan of chillies.  I don't have a lot of heat tolerance most of the time but have tended to be downright paranoid with it.

This was fantastic.  It contains two whole chillies and you'd think that makes it super spicy - but it had only the tiniest hint of spice unless you were actually chewing on bits of chilli (Don't do that.  Aaaaugh burn.).  Most of the chilli in the bites you take won't go through such a direct crushing process and you miss the vast majority of the potential heat.  My son's biggest complaint about the existence of the chillies was, "I don't know what this is.  I don't want it." and that's just 4 year olds.

I want to start this with a couple of relevant tips.  A lot of people avoid things like chillies and asparagus because they don't know how to best prepare them.  What parts do I eat? How do I cut them up?  Let me help you with that by showing you (or rather telling you) what I do.

Chillies

So a recipe once suggested that you put chillies into your meal - thinly sliced.  Sweet.  You're going to be a total badass and try this with a mild chilli.  Fuck yeah!

You grab a whole chilli, cut the stem-end off and then slice it finely into rings full of seeds.  You toss it with your meal.  You immediately feel as though you were horribly lied to.  This shit is absurdly spicy.  It's almost inedible.  OMG make the burn stop!

Many recipes unfortunately neglect some basic instructions on exactly HOW to process certain vegetables such as chillies.  They assume a certain level of knowledge that should -never- be assumed.

So here's how I do it.  This works so much better.  Don't be afraid of chillies.  It'll be okay.

1. Keep your hands completely away from your face until you have finished.  For serious.
2.. Cut the stem end off of your chilli.
3. Slice the chilli in half lengthwise.
4. With super clean hands, use your thumbnail to scrape out the ENTIRE inside of the chili.  We want to discard of all of the seeds and membranes.  Contrary to popular belief - the heat is in the membranes, not the seeds.  Get all of that shit out unless a LOT of heat is what you WANT.
5. Set your chili skins aside and clean your cutting area of all membranes and seeds as well as the juice from these parts.  This will reduce the heat of your final dish.
6. On a fresh cutting surface, finely slice your chili skins and add to your dish.
7. Wash your hands -very, very, very thoroughly-.  I usually have to wash mine (including under my nails) at least twice before I can touch my eyes, lips or mouth without it burning.

Asparagus

I avoided asparagus for a long time.  When I tried to prepare it I was overcooking it terribly or undercooking it.  I would eat it past its freshest and I would include the woody parts because I didn't know how to properly prepare it.  This is what I have learned.

* Asparagus is best when either steamed lightly, blanched or roasted.  Squishy is bad.  You want a little crunch.
* The woody, inedible bits of asparagus getting you down? Easily fixed.  Hold the asparagus in your hands and flex it along the stem until it breaks.  It will snap almost precisely along the line where the stem becomes woody.
* Choosing asparagus at the store isn't, unfortunately, as simple as grabbing a bunch and hoping for the best.  After I finally learned how to identify fresh asparagus, I realized that many of the bunches at my local shops were very over ripe.  Asparagus should be firm and crisp.  If you hold up a stalk at one end, it should not bend downward with its own weight.  It should never be wrinkled (as asparagus will tend to become when it starts to wilt).   The tips should be firm when you pinch them.  If they are squishy, it is rotting.

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Knew all of that already? Sweet - you're totally better informed than I was when I started cooking (I couldn't make toast, seriously). Let's move on to the recipe bits.

Spaghetti with Chili and Asparagus

Serves 4

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

100ml olive oil

16 asparagus spears, cut into 5cm pieces

400g spaghetti

150g rocket, chopped

2 small red chillies, deseeded and chopped

1 lemon - zested and juiced into a bowl

1 clove garlic, minced

120g parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil on the stove.  Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt. 

2. Blanch the asparagus for 3-4 minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately run under cold water (this halts the cooking process). Drain and set asdie to cool.

3. Return the water to the stove and bring back to a boil.

4. Add the spaghetti - cooking until just al dente.  Drain and return to the pan.

5. Meanwhile, add the rocket, lemon zest and juice, garlic and 65g of the Parmesan to the asparagus and toss.

6. Add this mix to the pasta, pouring over the remaining olive oil.  Season lightly with salt and pepper.  

7. Mix to coat - divide among 4 bowls and top with the remaining Parmesan.  Serve hot.