Linguine with Asparagus & Egg

Oh my. It has been a long time since I’ve devoted time to blogging. Spring yard work and cleaning always consumes my schedule this time of year. (and I am so exhausted from doing all of it… I can’t muster up any energy in my spare time to do anything else. ) I have been cooking though! TONS of tasty and quick dishes… I plan to start sharing some of them with you! 🙂

I love the combination of asparagus and eggs. It screams springtime to me. This vegetarian main dish is simple and delicious. The recipe was adapted from Everyday Food. I doubled the asparagus and used Parmigiano Reggiano and linguine fini noodles. We ate the leftovers with sliced and diced hardboiled eggs over the top. Great.

Yield: Serves 4, generously

• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3/4 pound linguine fini (I used Barilla), linguine, fettuccine
• 2 1/4 pounds asparagus, ends trimmed, halved lengthwise
• 3 T unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano (1/2 ounce), plus more for serving
• 4 large eggs

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions, adding the asparagus in the last two minutes of cooking (if large) and last minute of cooking (if thin).
2. Reserve 1 cup cooking liquid; drain pasta and asparagus and return to pot along with butter and Parmesan. Toss until butter is melted, adding enough pasta water to create a thin sauce that coats pasta.
3. While pasta is cooking, in a large straight-sided skillet, heat 2 inches water over medium until a few bubbles rise to the top.
4. Crack each egg into a small bowl and gently pour into skillet. Partially cover, and cook until whites are set and yolks are runny, about 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer eggs to a paper towel-lined baking sheet.
5. To serve, divide pasta among 4 bowls, top each serving with an egg, and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with additional cheese, as desired.

One Year Ago:

• Rigatoni with Lemon-Chile Pesto & Grated Egg

Two Years Ago:

• Ricotta Gnocchi with Asparagus, Peas, & Mushrooms
• Saffron Pappardelle with Moroccan Spiced Shallot-Butter Sauce

Three Years Ago:

• Margherita Pizza with Tomato, Mozzarella, and Basil
• Perfect Pizza Sauce

Swiss Chard Pesto with Strozzapreti & Poached Eggs

My husband was reading a New York Times review of a Sag Harbor restaurant named The Cuddy and a dish they described struck his fancy. Swiss chard, basil pesto over fresh tagliatelle topped with a poached egg. It sounded so good that he suggested that we make our own version of this dish. So, this is it. It was great! I have been making a lot of pesto lately- but not Swiss chard pesto! 🙂 Thanks for a tasty idea, The Cuddy. We love Sag Harbor so we’ll be sure to visit. I may modify my version after eating the real thing…. The fresh tagliatelle makes it more restaurant worthy, no doubt.

I used strozzapreti pasta instead of tagliatelle, Grana Padano instead of goat cheese, and kept the poached egg. Eggs are great with greens. The chard pesto was very flavorful and nice.

• 2 cups rainbow chard, stemmed and sliced, about 2 large leaves
• 1/4 cup basil
• pinch of coarse salt
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 T chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup Grana Padano or other hard cheese such as Parmesan or pecorino Romano, grated
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound strozzapreti or tagliatelle
• 1 poached egg per serving

1. Combine the chard, basil, salt, garlic, nuts and oil in a food processor. Process until combined, scraping down the sides as necessary.
2. Stir in the cheese just before serving.
3. Cook the pasta in salted water according to package directions until al dente.
4. Meanwhile, bring a scant 1-inch of water to a boil in a deep skillet. Add 1 teaspoon coarse salt and 1 tablespoon white vinegar. Reduce heat to a low simmer (tiny bubbles around the edge of the pan).
5. One at a time, break eggs into a shallow bowl or coffee cup, slowly lower into the simmering water. Partially cover the pan and cook until the white is set and the yolk is filmed over, about 3-5 minutes.
6. Remove egg from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain excess water onto a paper towel lined plate. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.
7. Combine pesto with warm pasta. Top with poached egg. Serve immediately.