Crayfish lasagna with asparagus & garlic #163

This is barely a lasagna but since I used lasagna pasta and it is served in layers I still chose to call it a lasagna. You can of course serve it with regular pasta and you can of course make it bigger and serve it as a main course. I prepared all ingredients before cooking the pasta since the pasta is a central ingredient in the dish it would be ruined if it were to get overcooked. 

Crayfish lasagna with asparagus & garlic

cooked crayfish tails

asparagus

garlic

cream

milk

salt, pepper

olive oil

spinach and or other leaf vegetables

Parmesan cheese

lasagna pasta

Peel and slice garlic and saute in olive oil for a few minutes, add milk and cream and season with salt and pepper. Blend into a creamy garlic sauce, set aside. Rinse the spinach and drain the crayfish tails (if they were sold in liquid). Slice the asparagus and parboil in salted water. Boil the pasta until almost done (it will get done once everything is plated). 

Add one layer of pasta and then add the asparagus, crayfish and then repeat for as many layers as you like. Whisk the sauce and pour on top and add a little bit of salt, pepper and grated Parmesan, serve.

New Years recipe ideas when you´re not on a budget

New Years Eve is coming up and if you haven´t decided on what to serve I have picked some of my own favorite recipes from Delicious Tapas and have some great suggestions for you!

This is part four in this series and for this post I will focus when you have an unlimited budget and want to treat yourself and your guests to something extra.

All recipes can be found in their original post that I have linked for each dish. I haven´t suggested any dessert but since I´m not that much into desserts. But if I have to recommend something I would go for any great ice cream, because who doesn´t love ice-cream?

New Years menu when you´re not on a budget

Appetizers - these three appetizers can more or less be eaten using your hands and of course you will be serving loads of Champagne on the side.

Duck liver paté with rosehip jam and bread
Grilled asparagus with Parmesan cheese
Grissini with Parma ham and cream cheese

Starter

Tuna tartar with avocado and chives

Tuna is always appreciated and I love the freshness and elegance of this recipe, since the budget is not an issue get the best tuna you can find.

Main course

Lobster tail with caper aioli
Linguine with truffles cream and Parmesan

Combine these two recipes but instead but skip the caper aioli for the lobster and you can serve the lobster warm instead of cold.

Linguine with truffles, cream and Parmesan #145

Classic, super rich and great tasting is all the description this pasta dish needs. It´s super simple to make and since it´s so rich I prefer so serve it as a small tapas or appetizer because otherwise you won´t be able to eat much else. Buy the kind of truffles that your wallet can afford, I used summer truffles that are sliced and marinated in black truffle oil that I think taste great. If you´re rich then go for fresh black or white truffles and if you´re on a budget then go for just the oil.

However try not to switch from real Italian Parmiggiano-Reggiano to something cheaper because that will take loads of flavor out of the dish.

Linguine with truffles, cream and Parmesan

dried linguine pasta

cream

olive oil

Parmesan cheese (Parmiggiano-Reggiano)

garlic

truffles in truffle oil (or whatever truffles you choose)

salt, pepper

Boil the pasta in salted water, meanwhile peel and slice the garlic thin and cook on medium heat in olive oil without getting brown, add salt, pepper and cream and bring to a boil and let reduce for a few minutes. I usually do this in a frying pan that you can add the cooked pasta to. Add grated Parmesan to the sauce and let it melt. 

Remove the pasta from it´s  water when it´s a few minutes away from being done and add the pasta to the sauce. Add truffles and combine the pasta with the sauce, check the taste and add salt, pepper and truffles if necessary. The pasta will get done from being hot in the truffle sauce within a few minutes. Serve immediately with some extra Parmesan on top.