Preparation
- Ridged pasta: 320 g
- Asparagus: 700 g
- Pancetta: 100 g
- Shallot: 1
- Fine salt: to taste
- Black pepper: to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil: 20 g
For the asparagus cream:
- Extra virgin olive oil: 20 g
- Water: 100 g
To prepare pasta with asparagus and pancetta, remove the tougher end part of the asparagus, cut the stems into rounds, while cutting the tips in half and setting them aside. Clean and finely chop the shallot, cut the pancetta into strips. Put water to boil for the pasta (salt when it boils), meanwhile heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan.
Add the chopped shallot and let it brown over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the asparagus stem rounds, salt and pepper to taste. Deglaze with a ladle of hot water (taken from the pasta cooking pot). Cook everything for about 10 minutes, adding a little hot water as needed.
Once the asparagus is cooked, take about 2/3 of it, transfer to a tall container with 20 g of oil, 100 g of water, and blend with an immersion blender. You should obtain a smooth cream. Set the cream aside, while you put the pancetta into the pan used for cooking the asparagus and let it brown for 2 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add the asparagus tips and let them brown for another 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente. Set aside a few strips of browned pancetta and asparagus tips, then pour the asparagus cream into the pan with the seasoning, also adding the asparagus rounds. Drain the pasta directly into the pan and stir for a couple of minutes until you get a well-seasoned and creamy pasta. Plate up, add freshly ground pepper to taste and decorate each serving dish with the asparagus tips and pancetta strips you set aside!
