L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 2021 www.italoamericano.org 30 L'Italo-Americano Parmesan • 2 t a b l e s p o o n h e a v y cream (optional) • 350 g (12 oz) spaghetti As with all things intense- ly aromatic, asparagus need minimal manipulation and c o n d i m e n t s . I f y o u d o n ' t have wild asparagus, use the thinnest and freshest green cultivated asparagus. Please remember that your aspara- gus should still be bright green when you eat them. D o n ' t o v e r c o o k t h e m t o brown sadness. M e t h o d f o r c u l t i v a t e d asparagus: Arrange the whole spears in a single layer in a roasting t i n a n d t o s s t h e m w i t h 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Roast in a preheated oven at 220°C (425°F) until just tender, this will take 12 to 15 minutes depending on the t h i c k n e s s o f t h e s p e a r s . Roasting will concentrate the flavor. Remove from the oven, add the finely chopped gar- lic, cover and leave to infuse for at least 10 minutes. Once cooled, chop into 1 cm (1/2 inch) long pieces and trans- fer the asparagus and their cooking juices to a pan large enough to hold all the pasta you will be cooking. Method for wild aspara- gus: Cut the shoots into 2 cm (1 inch) pieces. In a large pan, sauté the chopped garlic in 2 table- spoons of olive oil until fra- grant, about 30 sec. Add the asparagus and cover with water. Increase the heat to a medium to high heat and cook, stirring occa- sionally, about 6 or 7 min. By the time the water has boiled away, the asparagus will be tender but still bright green. With either method, at this point you will have gar- lic-infused asparagus. Add t h e s l i c e d c h i l i p e p p e r , cover. While the asparagus are cooking, bring a 5 liter (5 quart) pan of water to the boil. Add two heaped table- spoons of salt and bring to the boil again. Always cook your pasta in plenty of salted water otherwise the pasta will be starchy and bland. C h o s e g o o d q u a l i t y spaghetti and cook until al dente according to the pack- age instructions. Drain and reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water. N o w y o u n e e d t o b e quick. Transfer the pasta to t h e p a n w h i c h h o l d s t h e asparagus and turn the heat up high. Stir quickly and when the sauce has blended into the pasta add the cheese and half of the reserved cooking water. Stir again. The hot water will melt t h e c h e e s e a n d b i n d t h e sauce so that all the flavor will be absorbed into the pasta. U s e m o r e w a t e r i f t h e pasta looks too dry. Y o u c a n n o w a d d t h e cream if using. Plate and drizzle with one or teaspoon of your good extra-virgin olive oil. Now run to the table and e a t i t i m m e d i a t e l y , w h i l e wonderfully moist, fragrant and let me say it, absolutely beautiful. L e t i z i a M a t t i a c c i i s a cookbook author and owner of Alla Madonna del Piatto C o o k i n g S c h o o l a n d A g r i t u r i s m o i n A s s i s i , U m b r i a , h t t p s : / / i n c a m - pagna.com. This recipe has been previously published in Mrs. Mattiacci cookbook entitled "A Kitchen with a view." "Wild asparagus are special: forget the mild cultivated stuff, these fragrant strips of green are in the league of foods for the gods, like truffle or aged balsamic" Continued from page 28 If you use normal asparagus, make sure to roast them (Photo: Letizia Mattiacci) LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES © Visionsi | Dreamstime.com

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