Il Cucinologo
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Tagliatelle with Asparagus and Pesto

17/11/2023

Here is a delicious recipe for tagliatelle with asparagus and Genoese pesto, with that ever-present Italian touch.

Ingredients

  • 300 g egg tagliatelle
  • 500 g fresh asparagus
  • 100 g Genoese pesto (ready-made or homemade)
  • 50 g grated Parmesan
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste (optional)
  • Extra-virgin olive oil

For the Genoese pesto, if you want to make it yourself (quantities for about 100 g of pesto):

  • 50 g fresh basil
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 20 g pine nuts
  • 40 g grated Parmesan
  • 10 g grated Pecorino Romano (optional)
  • 80 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt to taste

Preparation

  1. Clean the asparagus by removing the woody part of the stem, then cut them into pieces about 2-3 cm long, leaving the tips whole.
  2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the asparagus in it for about 5 minutes, until tender but still crunchy.
  3. Drain the asparagus, reserving the cooking water, and set them aside.
  4. In the same water, cook the tagliatelle according to the cooking time indicated on the package. Drain them al dente, remembering to reserve a little cooking water.
  5. Meanwhile, if making the pesto, place the basil, garlic clove, pine nuts, Parmesan, Pecorino, a pinch of salt in the blender and blend everything, adding the oil in a steady stream until you obtain a creamy sauce.
  6. In a large skillet, sauté the asparagus with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil for a couple of minutes.
  7. Add the drained tagliatelle to the skillet with the asparagus and mix well.
  8. Pour the pesto over the pasta and stir gently, adding a little reserved cooking water if necessary to make the sauce more fluid and easier to mix.
  9. Serve immediately, finishing with freshly ground pepper (if desired) and a generous grating of Parmesan.

Trivia

Pesto, originating from Liguria, is usually associated with pasta, but it can also be an excellent versatile condiment for grilled vegetables, focaccia, or as a base for other sauces. In the case of tagliatelle with asparagus, it combines the aroma of basil with the sweetness of asparagus, creating an exquisite all-Italian pairing.