Noodles with a Creamy Asparagus and Saffron Sauce

Every month, my co-workers and I get together to watch a movie based on a book we have all (supposedly) read that month. It's our little "Book & Movie Club". For May, we read Seven Years in Tibet, and I hosted the movie viewing under an Asian food theme. Since I had just gotten my saffron from Mom, and had leftover asparagus from my risotto, I decided to cook this recipe I found from a Wok & Stir Fry cookbook.


Ingredients:

• 10-12 stalks of asparagus
• 1 pinch of saffron
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp white wine
• 1 cup heavy cream
• grated rind and juice of 1/2 lemon
• 4 oz peas
• 12 oz somen noodles
• salt, pepper, and "Fines Herbes", to taste
• grated Parmesan cheese
  

Method:

• Cut off tips from asparagus, slice the remaining spears into short rounds
• Steep saffron in 2 tbsp boiling water
• Melt butter in a small pan, add shallots, and cook over low heat until transparent, ~3 mins
• Add white wine, cream, and saffron infusion and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for ~5 mins or until sauce thickens.
• Add grated lemon rind and jice, season with salt and pepper.
• Boil lightly salted water in a large pot. Blanch asparagus tips in water, then remove and add to sauce. Cook peas and remaining asparagus in the water until just tender, and add these to sauce also.
• Cook somen noodles in boiling water until tender. Drain and place into a wok.
• Pour sauce over the top of the noodles and toss. Add Fines Herbes and more salt/pepper as needed. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.
  

Overall, I think it turned out well. I got a number of compliments. The sauce was interesting, but good. I did learn, though, that somen noodles are a total mess to drain (they stick to EVERYTHING). So perhaps I'll try it with something different next time, maybe rice.