Baked Fettuccine with Asparagus, Lemon, Pine Nuts & Mascarpone

By á-168951

Ingredients

• Mascarpone is a rich Italian cream cheese. It usually comes in a plastic tub and is available in most grocery stores. Grana Padano is a hard Italian grating cheese similar to Parmigiano but with milder flavor and a lower price.
• 2 Tbs. olive oil; more for the baking dish
• 2 lbs. medium-thick asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces on an angle.
• 8 scallions, whites and tender greens cut into thin rounds
• Finely grated zest from 2 lemons
• Juice from 1 lemon (about 4 Tbs.)
• A few springs fresh thyme or savory, leaves chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup Mascarpone
• 1 cup freshly grated Grana Padano
• Small pinch cayenne
• Generous pinch ground allspice
• 3/4 cup coarse fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 lb. fresh fettuccine
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from keyingredient.com

Preparation

Step 1

Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly coat a large shallow baking dish with olive oil. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus pieces and blanch until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. With a large slotted spoon, transfer them to a colander, and run under cold water to preserve their green color. Drain well. Keep the water boiling for the pasta.

In a large skillet, add the olive oil over medium heat. Add the scallions and saute for 1 minute to soften. Add the asparagus and saute briefly, about one minute. Take the skillet off the heat and add half of the zest and lemon juice and thyme or savory. Season with salt and pepper, mix well and reserve.

In a medium sauce pan heat some butter, mix well and reserve.

In a medium saucepan heat the butter and flour over medium heat, whisking until smooth. Cook for 1 minute, 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 but and cook until smooth and slightly thickened (to about the consistency of heavy cream), 3 to 4 minutes.

Turn off the heat and add the remaining lemon zest, the mascarpone, and 1/2 cup of the Grana Padano. Whisking until the mixture is fairly smooth (there will be a slight grainy texture from the cheese). Season with the cayenne, the allspice, and more salt and pepper.

In small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and the remaining Grana Padano. Season with salt and pepper and add a drizzle of olive oil. Mix well.

Return the cooking water to a full boil and cook the fettuccine, leaving it slightly underdone. Drain well. Return the fettuccine to the cooking pot. Add the pine nuts, the mascarpone sauce, and the asparagus mixture. Toss and taste for seasonings.

Pour into the baking dish and sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the top. Bake uncovered until bubbling and golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve right away.