Recipe for Pasta with Asparagus,
adapted from Paola’s Pici con Asparagi
1 bunch (approx. 1 ¼ lbs. of fresh asparagus)
1 lemon, zested and juiced.
1 cup Reggiano Parmigiano cheese
(plus ½ cup to pass with the pasta)
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
16 oz. Orecchiette, Gemelli or Pici pasta
Salt and Pepper
1. Take 6 or 7 stalks of asparagus, trim the ends and set them aside.
Cut the remainder of the asparagus into ½ inch pieces on the diagonal. Set aside.
2.
Fill a large, heavy skillet with water. Salt the water generously.
Set the pan on high heat and bring it to a boil. Add the stalks of asparagus to the boiling water. Cook till tender, about 3 minutes.
Fish them out of the pan, leaving the water in the pan.
3.
Put the asparagus into the bowl of a food processor with the
Metal blade in place. Add the lemon juice, the cheese, the butter and ¼ cup of asparagus water and process until the mixture is the consistency of soup. Add more water if necessary. Put the resulting sauce into a medium sized bowl.
4.
Cook the pasta following the package instructions for timing.
(Orecchiette take 12 minutes). Three minutes before the pasta cooking time is up, add the asparagus pieces to the pasta. Cook pasta and asparagus together. This will up the asparagus flavor to the pasta. Set aside a half cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta and the asparagus.
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My Orecchiette with Asparagus.
Paola’s Pici was better. |
5.
Add the pasta, asparagus and lemon zest to the bowl with the asparagus sauce and toss all the ingredients together. If the pasta sauce is to thick, add some of the pasta water. Salt and pepper the dish to taste. Serve at once passing the additional Reggiano Parmigiano cheese.
Oh I loved this story! What a wonderful life, to have a family with such a passion for good food, and 30 years she is celebrating? That is the face of a woman who eats well, lives well and loves to share with others. And that's why it is so perfect that you do the same Monte, this is coming up after we are all so hungry after pool time. Thanks Monte! And thank you Paola!
Thanks Ana, a remarkable woman who does wonderful things with food and is constantly on the look out for fresh ways to present it, is worthy of high praise. My best to you and enjoy your pool time!
This pasta sounds wonderful, but I am intrigued by the mention of 'Panna' whipped cream. I can't find anything specific to whipped cream (which I love!), only recipes for Panna Cotta. Help?
Dear Sandi, 2:55 a.m.? I do hope you weren't up all nigth trying to sleuth out what panna is! Panna is, quite simply, cream and it generally refers to "English cream" –think clotted cream. Panna Cotta is cooked cream, the word Cotta meaning 'cooked'. Panna, at Paola's, is whipped cream. (Most recipes for Panna Cotta call for a little gelatin as well.)
Hope this helps you not lose sleep at night…All best, Monte
Thanks Monte. The only thing that keeps me up at night is me! A night owl from birth. I will look for some good English cream then the next time we are in Portland or Seattle.
Sandi, try using regular whipped cream!