My Mom's Legendary Asparagus Tagliatelle
A simple recipe for a spring Italian staple, new and improved.
This recipe originally appeared in one of the first newsletters that I wrote, An Italian’s way to cook vegetables #1 (because there will definitely be #2, maybe #3).
The article is quite long and this recipe is so good that it deserves its own space, so I decided to separate the two, and introduce it to the new followers that recently arrived (hi and thank you!) with new and improved notes.
I never thought that such a simple recipe could be this successful, but I swear that there are some people who visited and, even after years, still say that this was one of the best dishes they’ve ever eaten.
For cooking asparagus, as well as other vegetables with a similar consistency the italian way for pasta sauces, please refer to the article mentioned above about cooking vegetables.
A few tips to really bring this recipe home:
~ It’s a simple recipe, using few ingredients that should be good quality. Use good quality tagliatelle, and make it when asparagus are good and in season (i prefer the thinner ones).
~ Use extra virgin olive oil.
~ Don’t skimp on the fat. This sauce calls for a fair amount of extra virgin olive oil, and the butter makes the sauce extra creamy and goes incredibly well with asparagus.
I do think that part of the success of this dish was the shameless amount of pancetta, and consequently pork fat, that my mother adds. These tagliatelle are delicious in their vegetarian version as well, but if you do eat meat and can come across good quality pancetta or bacon (not smoked, as it would kill the flavor of the asparagus), it is a worthwhile addition. In moderation, as that also kills the flavor of the asparagus in large quantities.
~ This recipe can be easily made vegan by just removing the butter and cheese. They do, however, really round up the flavor.
~ I recommend sourcing authentic Italian cheese for this one, unless you can find a really good local cheese that is seasoned enough to be grated. Do not drown the tagliatelle in cheese - while I suggest liberal amounts, about 1 tbsp per plate should do.
~ During this time of the year, you can go for foraging walks in search of wild asparagus, which grows rather abundant in Italy and around the Mediterranean. These guys are thinner and more flavorful than the usual asparagus, with a slight note of bitterness. If you do use wild asparagus, mix them up with recupar asparagus.
Any kind of green asparagus is good for this recipe, but the more local, the better.
SIMPLE ASPARAGUS TAGLIATELLE
This is the way my mom has always made asparagus tagliatelle. Apparently, they’re unforgettable for all those who tasted it. She usually adds pancetta to the stir-fry, but I am keeping it vegetarian - I think they are still wonderful. Skip the butter and cheese to make it vegan (or rather, replace with an extra tablespoon olive oil).
Serves 2.
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