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
Continue After Advertisement
Ingredients
-
1/2 pound
asparagus, trimmed
-
1
shallot, finely chopped
-
2 tablespoons
unsalted butter
-
2/3 cup
heavy cream (I used 1% milk)
-
14 ounces
fresh tagliatelle, or dried tagliatelle
-
1/2 cup
freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
-
1/4 cup
finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
-
Fine sea salt
Directions
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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
See what other Food52ers are saying.