Refined spring pasta / Italian first course
A refined spring pasta in the spirit of haute cuisine: broad paccheri coated in a silky asparagus emulsion, lifted with lemon zest and juice, then finished with glazed tips for elegance, freshness, and texture.
Recipe video
Mise en place. Wash and dry the asparagus. Prepare a bowl of iced water. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta and salt it generously. Warm the stock. Finely grate the Parmigiano. Zest the lemon first, then juice it and strain the juice. Warm serving bowls.
Prepare the asparagus with precision. Cut off the tips, about 4 cm / 1.6 in long, and reserve them whole. Slice the remaining stems into thin rounds. Keep the tips and stems separate.
Blanch to preserve color. Drop the sliced stems into boiling salted water for about 2 minutes. Add the tips for the last 45 seconds. Lift everything out and chill immediately in the iced water, then drain and dry well.
Build the asparagus essence. Blend the blanched stems with the hot stock, half the olive oil, a pinch of salt, a little white pepper, and half of the lemon zest until very smooth. Pass through a fine sieve for a velvety texture.
Create the aromatic base. In a wide sauté pan, sweat the shallot gently in the remaining olive oil over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes. It should soften without taking color. Add the asparagus puree and keep it at a very gentle simmer.
Glaze the asparagus tips. In a small pan, warm a small knob of butter with 1 spoonful of water. Add the tips and glaze briefly until just tender and glossy. Season lightly. Reserve.
Cook the paccheri. Boil the pasta until 2 minutes short of al dente. Before draining, reserve at least 250 g / 8.8 oz of the pasta cooking water. Transfer the paccheri directly to the asparagus sauce.
Emulsify with control. Add a small ladle of pasta water and toss gently over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, so the paccheri releases starch and the sauce clings to the pasta.
Mount the sauce off the heat. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the cold butter and Parmigiano in stages, tossing continuously. Adjust the texture with more pasta water until the sauce is smooth and lightly coating. Add the strained lemon juice little by little, then the remaining zest.
Plate with intention. Twist or layer the paccheri into warm bowls. Spoon over any remaining sauce. Arrange the glazed asparagus tips on top. Finish with chervil or basil, a whisper of white pepper, and a final thread of olive oil. Serve immediately.
