Tagliatelle With Asparagus Crispy Pancetta And Parmesan Recipes

TAGLIATELLE WITH ASPARAGUS, CRISPY PANCETTA AND PARMESAN

Steps:

• Snap the woody bottoms off the asparagus stalks and throw them away.
• Cut off the top 4cm of each stalk, put to one side and finely chop the remaining stalks. Heat a wide frying pan and gently fry the chopped asparagus stalks in a little olive oil with the pancetta. When the asparagus softens slightly turn the heat off and mash them roughly with the back of a fork.
• Cook the tagliatelle in plenty of boiling salted water, according to pack instructions. Add the asparagus tips for the last 2 minutes of cooking time.
• Drain the pasta, reserving a cup of the cooking water, and toss with the mashed asparagus and pancetta.
• Stir in most of the Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. If needed loosen the pasta with a little of the cooking water. Serve with the last of the Parmesan sprinkled on top.
• Tip: Cooking your asparagus with the pasta is a clever way to save on time and washing up.

TAGLIATELLE WITH ASPARAGUS AND PARMESAN FONDUTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, bring an inch or two of water to a boil in a small pot. Whisk together the egg yolks, crème fraîche, Parmesan, and garlic in a large heatproof bowl that will fit snugly in the pot without making contact with the boiling water.
• Set the bowl in the small pot and whisk the egg mixture constantly, occasionally scraping the sides and removing the bowl from the pot every couple of minutes as you whisk to keep the cooking nice and slow (don't let it bubble). The mixture will look thick and clumpy for a few seconds, then become liquidy, and then, once the cheese has melted, silky smooth. Cook just until the liquidy sauce has thickened slightly (it should thinly coat the back of a spoon), 6 to 8 minutes. Set the bowl aside in a warm place.
• Salt the large pot of boiling water generously until it tastes slightly less salty than the sea. If you're confident that the pasta and asparagus will finish cooking at the same time, add them both to the water. If you're a worrywart, cook the asparagus first, scoop it into a colander to drain, then cook the pasta. Cook the asparagus until it is juicy with a slight bite, 3 to 4 minutes; and cook the pasta until it is fully cooked, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Drain the pasta and asparagus well in a colander, then pop them back into the now-empty pot. Pour in most of the fonduta and toss gently but well. Season to taste with salt and more fonduta, if you'd like. Transfer to bowls, top with a little more Parmesan, and eat straightaway.

BOLOGNESE TAGLIATELLE

Steps:

• Cook pancetta in a pan over medium heat until it has released its fat and is crisp, 7 to 8 minutes. Add carrots, celery, and onions and cook until the vegetables soften and the onions are translucent, 7 to 8 minutes. Set aside.
• Heat olive oil in a 4-quart pot over medium heat. Break ground beef and pork into small chunks and add them to the pot; cook, stirring lightly, until browned, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Stir the pancetta-vegetable mixture into the ground meat. Add wine. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir, breaking up the meat until finely ground, wine has evaporated, and the pot is almost dry, 13 to 15 minutes. Add tomatoes, nutmeg, salt, and red pepper. Use the back of a spoon to break up the tomatoes and continue to break down the meat mixture into very small bits, about 5 minutes.
• Pour beef stock and heavy cream into the pot and reduce heat to the lowest setting. Leave to simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, for at least 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil. Cook tagliatelle at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water and drain well.
• Stir pasta into the Bolognese sauce and mix well, adding a little reserved pasta water if needed to develop a satiny coating. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

PANCETTA AND ASPARAGUS PASTA

Steps:

• Sauté pancetta in a large pan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until crispy. Remove pancetta with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Add asparagus to the pan and sauté in the pancetta grease for about 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until almost cooked.
• Slowly add the white wine to deglaze the pan. Continue cooking for 5 minutes or until the wine has reduced by about half.
• Cook the pasta in a large pot according to package instructions. Drain, but reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water for later (if needed).
• Add the pasta, pancetta and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese to the sauté pan with asparagus, and toss until combined. Sprinkle pasta with the remaining Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.