Fettucine with Asparagus, Lemon, Pine Nuts and Mascarpone

By JanF1201

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, and more for the pan
• 2 lbs asparagus, eds trimmed, cut in 1 inch pieces on an angle
• 8 scallions, cut in thin rounds
• 2 lemons, finely grated zest
• 1 juice from lemon
• A few springs chipped of fresh thyme
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup mascarpone cheese
• 1 cup grated grana padano cheese
• 1 pinch cayenne
• 1 pinch generous ground allspice
• 3/4 cup homemade bread crumbs
• 1 lb fresh fettuccine
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

Heat the oven to 450. Lightly coat a large shallow baking dish with olive oil. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus and blanch until tender but with a slight bite left to it, about 2 min. Scoop it from the water with a large slotted spoon, set it in a colander, and run it under cold water to preserve its green color. Drain well. Keep the water boiling for the pasta.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the scallions. Saute briefly, about 1 min to lemon juice, thyme, salt and pepper. Mix well and reserve.
In a medium saucepan, heat the butter and flour over medium heat, whisking until smooth. Cook for 1 min, 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. Loser the heat a bit and cook until smooth and lightly thickened, about the consistency of heavy cream, 3 or 4 min.
Turn off heat and add the mascarpone the remaining lemon zest and 1/2 cip 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, all spice, and more salt and pepper.
In a 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 coil and cook the fettuccine, leaving it slight underdone. Drain well. Return the fettuccine to the cooking pot. Add the mascarpone sauce, the pine nuts, and the asparagus with all its juice. Toss and taste for seasoning. Pour into the baking dish and sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the top. Bake uncovered until bubbling and golden, 15-20 min. Serve right away.