Tagliatelle with Crème Fraîche, Parmesan and Asparagus
Indulgent fresh tagliatelle, with a medley of creme fraiche, Parmesan cheese and asparagus spears. This seasonal dish makes for a beautiful vegetarian main.
Introduction
This pasta sauce is particularly rich, as it’s made using egg yolks, crème fraîche and Parmesan, but it’s a great way of eating the new season’s English asparagus. Try to use select asparagus, which is medium thickness, as it has a lovely, tender texture.
Ingredients
| 400ml | crème fraîche |
| 1 | garlic clove, crushed to a paste with a little salt |
| 3 | organic egg yolks |
| 150g | Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus extra to serve |
| 250g | fresh tagliatelle |
| 300g | medium-thick asparagus spears, trimmed and finely sliced at an angle |
| Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper |
Method
Put the crème fraîche, garlic, egg yolks and Parmesan in a large bowl and set it over a pan of simmering water making sure the water does not touch the base of the bowl. Whisk vigorously with a balloon whisk until the mixture is the consistency of runny honey; it should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Check the seasoning, then put to one side.
Put the tagliatelle and asparagus in a large pan of boiling salted water and cook for 3 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Drain and toss with the crème fraîche and Parmesan sauce. Serve with plenty of black pepper and more Parmesan on top.
