INGREDIENTS
FOR 3 PEOPLE
380 g Rummo Gluten-Free Spaghetti No. 3
500 g fresh asparagus
1 clove garlic
40 g pecorino romano, grated
Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
Salt and pepper, to taste
20 g Peperoni Cruschi
DIRECTIONS
Wash the asparagus and remove the woodiest part at the bottom of the stalk. Also remove the fibrous outer layer of the stalks with the help of a potato peeler. Blanch the asparagus for a few minutes in salted boiling water with the peeled garlic clove until tender but still green. You will use the cooking water later to boil the pasta. Carefully moderate the amount of salt you use in the water, as the pecorino used to make the emulsion with the asparagus is quite salty, and you want to keep the flavors balanced. Cut the top half off of the boiled spears, slice them in half lengthwise, and set them aside for later use. Use the remaining pieces to make the emulsion, by blending them with a couple spoonfuls of the cooking water, extra virgin olive oil, the boiled garlic, a pinch of salt, and the grated pecorino romano until you have a velvety cream. Set aside. Cook the spaghetti in the cooking water, draining them directly into a wide sauté pan where you have carefully tossed the sliced asparagus spears in olive oil with salt and pepper to taste. Add in the emulsion too, and toss. The cheese in the emulsion will melt in the heat of the spaghetti resulting in a creamy consistency that perfectly binds to the pasta uniting all flavors and ingredients. Plate the spaghetti, adding crumbled Peperoni Cruschi on top for added color, crunch and flavor.