Author Notes
I found this recipe as I was going through my La Cucina Italiana magazine for dinner inspiration. I had all the necessary ingredients the recipe asked for except for the fresh tagliatelle, so I used dry linguine instead. Asparagus is such a pretty vegetable that I usually like to keep in it's natural state by simply roasting it with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. However since my husband requested that I make pasta for dinner this evening I decided to make this recipe which we both loved.
—Claudia Ficca
Ingredients
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1/2 pound
asparagus, trimmed
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1
shallot, finely chopped
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2 tablespoons
unsalted butter
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2/3 cup
heavy cream (I used 1% milk)
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14 ounces
fresh tagliatelle, or dried tagliatelle
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1/2 cup
freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
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1/4 cup
finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
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Fine sea salt
Directions
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, cut 1½ inches of asparagus tips from stalks. Steam tips for 3 minutes, then cut in half lengthwise . Cut stalks crosswise into ¼-inch rounds.
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In a medium saucepan, combine asparagus rounds, shallot and butter; cook over medium heat until butter is melted, then add 1/2 cup water, bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes.
Add cream, bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt. Transfer pan contents to a blender and purée until smooth.
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Add pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente (about 3 minutes for fresh pasta). Reserving ¼ cup pasta cooking liquid, drain pasta and transfer to a large bowl.
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Pour purée into a skillet; bring to a boil. Add asparagus tips, cheese and parsley; return to a boil, then add to bowl with pasta and toss to combine. Adjust seasoning and moisten with a little pasta cooking liquid, if desired. Serve immediately.
Recipe from La Cucina Italiana
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