Flavour of the month: May

Farfalle with chicken, asparagus and pancetta

Invite some friends over and wow them with this delectable, creamy dish of farfalle with chicken, asparagus and pancetta. A recipe by BBC Good Food

Fast facts

  • Moderately easy
  • Takes 40 mins
  •  Serves 4–6
Labour-intensive to grow, asparagus are the young shoots of a cultivated lily plant. They're considered to be one of the delicacies of the vegetable world, with a price tag to match, and have a distinct, intense savoury flavour. Sprue is the term for young, very slender asparagus.

  • 500g asparagus
  • 2 lemons
  • 100g thinly sliced pancetta
  • 500g farfalle
  • 50g butter
  •  284ml carton double cream
  •  2 cooked skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 250g/9oz total weight), torn into strips
  • a few gratings of fresh nutmeg
  • 50g parmesan, freshly grated, plus extra for serving

Method

  1. Trim the asparagus and cut into short lengths on the diagonal – keep the tips separate. (If you like, peel the stems to give a more vibrant colour when cooked.) Cook the stems in salted boiling water for about 4 minutes, then add the tips and cook for 1 minute more. Drain and refresh under cold running water.
  2. Peel the lemons with a serrated knife, remove all the white pith, then cut into segments by slicing each side of the pieces of membrane. Now cut the segments into small pieces (flick out any pips) and put them in a bowl with any juice. Grill the pancetta for 3–4 minutes until crisp – keep an eye on it because it can burn easily.
  3. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of well-salted boiling water until al dente. While it's cooking, put the butter and half the cream in a large pan and let them bubble together over a low heat for 2–3 minutes until thickened slightly. Tip in the lemon segments and juice, the chicken, asparagus and a few pinches of salt. Turn off the heat.
  4. Drain the pasta and add it to the contents of the pan along with the rest of the cream. Toss well, adding black pepper and nutmeg to taste, and the grated parmesan. Toss again, top with the pancetta and serve immediately.
This recipe originally appeared on BBC GoodFood, where you can find more great seasonal ingredients, recipes and advice.