FETTUCCINI WITH ASPARAGUS, LEMON, PINE NUTS & MASCARPONE

FETTUCCINI WITH ASPARAGUS, LEMON, PINE NUTS & MASCARPONE image

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 17

Ingredients

2 Tbs. olive oil; more for the pan
2 lb medium-thick asparagus, ends trimmed, cut in 1" pieces on an angle
8 scallions (whites and tender greens), cut in thin rounds
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
Juice from 1 lemon (about 4 Tbs.)
A few springs fresh thyme or savory, leaves chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
I Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
1 cup mascarpone cheese
1 cup grated grano padano cheese
small pinch cayenne
Generous pinch ground allspice
3/4 cup homemade breadcrumbs
1 lb. fresh fettuccini
1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

Steps:

Heat the oven to 450F. (Note the slightly higher oven temperature I use when baking fresh egg pasta.) Lightly coat a large, shallow baking dish with olive oil. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus and blanch until tender but with a slight bite to it, about 2min. Scoop it from the water with a large slotted spoon, set it in a colander, and run it under cold water to preserve its green color. Drtain well. Keep the water boiling for the pasta. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the scallions; sautee for 2min. to soften. Add the asparagus and saute briefly, about 1 min. Take the skillet of the heat and add half the zest, the lemon juice, thyme, salt, and pepper; mix well and reserve. In a medium saucepan, heat the butter and flour over medium heat, whisking until smoooth. Cook for 1 min., whisking constantly, to cook away the raw taste of the flour. Add the milk and cook, whisking all the while, until it comes to a boil. Lower the heat a bit and cook until smooth and lightly thickened (about the consistancy of heavy cream), 3 or 4 min. Turn off the heat, add the mascarpone, the remaining lemon zest, add half a cup of grated grana padano, whisking until the mixture is fairly smooth (there will be a slight grainy texture from the cheese). Season with cayenne, allspice and more salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and the remaining grana padano. Season with salt and pepper. Return the cooking water to a full boil and cook the fettuccini, leaving it slightly underdone. Drain awell. Return the fettuccini to the cooking pot. Add the mascarpone sauce, the pine nuts and the asparagus with all its juices. Toss and taste for seasoning. Pour ito the baking dish and sprinkle the breadcrumbs mixture evenly over the top. Bake uncovered until bubbling and golden, 15 to 20 mim. Serve right away.