Fettuccine With Smoked Salmon And Asparagus

• 1/2 pound medium asparagus
• 4 ounces smoked salmon
• Salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon minced shallots
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 10 ounces fresh green fettuccine noodles
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
• 2 ounces salmon caviar, optional

1. Snap ends off asparagus.
2. Slant-cut spears in 1-inch lengths.
3. Steam until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Rinse under cold water, pat dry on paper towels and set aside.
5. Cut salmon in slivers and set aside.
6. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
7. Melt butter in a large, heavy skillet.
8. Add shallots and saute over low heat until soft, about 3 minutes.
9. Stir in cream, increase heat and simmer about 5 minutes, until slightly thickened.
10. Add salmon and remove from heat.
11. Season with pepper and lemon juice.
12. Stir in asparagus.
13. Boil fettuccine 2 to 3 minutes, until just tender.
14. Drain, but allow a bit of moisture to cling to noodles.
15. Transfer to a warm shallow serving dish.
16. Reheat sauce to a simmer, check seasonings, fold in dill and pour over fettuccine.
17. Serve at once, mixing ingredients with pasta as you serve.
18. Top each portion, if desired, with heaping teaspoon of salmon caviar.

asparagus, salmon, salt, unsalted butter, shallots, heavy cream, freshly ground black pepper, lemon juice, noodles, fresh dill, salmon

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/9382 (may not work)