Spaghetti Aspargi e Guanciale
Preparation time
45 minutes
Servings:
2
Level:
Makkelijk
2. Primi
Menu course
For this recipe, I headed out to the asparagus farm. As mentioned in some previous blogs, and as many people know about me, I am afraid of just everything. For my Insta post, I really wanted to make a video at the farm; naturally, I find that super awkward (and I want to be an influencer...). So, nervously, I headed to the farm to eventually put together a really fun video and put a delicious dish on the table! It just goes to show what it can bring you (full video is avalaible at my instagram).
So, I am willing to go to great lengths for this blog, but also for good products! If you make this dish, Google to see if there is an asparagus farm nearby or perhaps a greengrocer that orders these fresh from the farmer. These asparagus have so much more flavor than those from the supermarket. I didn't even know that this was the taste of asparagus before I discovered this farm.
The same goes for Guanciale. Nowadays, you can find this in some supermarkets, but it really isn't comparable to what Guanciale is. So, go to an Italian specialty store to get Guanciale.
With the best products in the house, we can start cooking, cuciniamo!
Ingredients
200 g spaghetti
half an onion
8 green asparagus spears (if they are a bit thinner, add 2 more)
50g Guanciale
30 g Parmigiano Reggiano
1 egg (only the yolk)
Parsley
salt
pepper
Preparation
Bring a pan of water to boil and cut off the tips of the asparagus. Cook them for about 10 minutes and set them aside. Add some salt while cooking.
Meanwhile, cut off the hard part at the bottom of the Guanciale and then cut it into strips. Heat a pan without oil (the Guanciale will render enough fat) and fry the Guanciale until crispy. Tilt the pan occasionally so that the fat and the Guanciale lie separated. This makes the Guanciale even crispier. Scoop the Guanciale out of the pan, but leave the fat in.
As soon as the asparagus tips are out of the pan, you can cook the spaghetti in the same water (check the cooking time on the packaging). Add some extra salt to the water.
Peel the remaining asparagus and cut them in half. Leave one half in long strips, and cut the other half into small pieces. Finely chop the onion.
Sauté the onion in the guanciale fat until translucent, then add the asparagus, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes, then add a cup of water and let it steam for another 5 minutes. Mix about 3/4 of this mixture with the parsley until it becomes a cream.
Mix the spaghetti with the portion remaining in the pan and add 2 tablespoons of pasta water. Continue mixing until the water has evaporated, then remove the pan from the heat. Add the cream and the egg yolk and mix well into the spaghetti. Finally, add the Parmigiano. I grated a little more so I could sprinkle some over the top at the end as well. Mix the Parmigiano well into the pasta until it becomes a smooth cream. Divide between 2 plates and finish with the Guanciale and the asparagus tips.
Buon appetito!