Serves 2 large appetites, or 4 small ones

Ready

• 1 bunch asparagus
• 1 cup water
• 1 heaped tb butter
• 1 heaped tb flour
• half cup cream
• juice of half a lemon
• 1-3 tb chopped parsley
• 4 eggs, not too hardboiled ie cooked for about 6 minutes
• possibly a little milk
• black pepper
• salt to taste
• optional: 1 tb parmesan cheese, grated

Set

• Large pot
• Sauce pan
• Strainer

Go

1. Boil asparagus in the water till it’s as soft as you like it. Scoop out the asparagus and snap off the hard bottom bits- don’t do this before cooking as they will flavour the water.
2. In another pan melt the butter; stir in the flour; slowly add the asparagus water, stirring well so it isn’t lumpy. Add the cream; stir till thickened over a low heat. You may need to add milk to thin it. Add the lemon juice, the parsley, the cheese if you are using it. Stir again over a low heat while you add the chopped asparagus. Take off the heat as soon as the asparagus is warm- don’t cook it any more.
3. Pour the sauce over the pasta; chop the hardboiled eggs on top of it., one or two per person.

What you should know

For more recipes and information about my children’s books visit my website JackieFrench.com