House-Made Fettuccine with Asparagus and Lemon Zest
Executive Chef Bill Telepan

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces large asparagus spears, peeled (peels reserved), bottoms trimmed
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 ounces sweet butter, cut into small cubes (4 tablespoons)
• 1/2 pound fresh egg fettuccine see recipe below (or 1/2 pound dried fettuccine)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Zest of 1 lemon, chopped
• 2 teaspoons each chopped parsley, chervil, chives and tarragon
• 1/2 cup herbs, packed (parsley leaves, chervil leaves, tarragon leaves, and chives cut into 1/2-inch pieces)
• Freshly ground pepper and salt to taste

Method:

1. Place peels and cream in a saucepot and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let infuse for 30 minutes. Bring cream mixture back to a boil. Strain, whisk in butter, season with salt and pepper and reserve.
2. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil and blanch asparagus until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from boiling water and plunge into ice water for 2 minutes to stop cooking. Remove from ice water and pat dry.
3. Hold the top 1-inch of the asparagus and, with a peeler, peel down the asparagus stems to form fettuccine-like strips. Cut off the 1-inch tip of the asparagus, quarter and reserve.
4. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil and cook the fettuccine until tender (2 to 3 minutes for fresh pasta, 8 to 10 minutes for dried pasta).
5. Drain and place fettuccine in a sauté pan with the infused cream, asparagus strips and lemon zest.  Bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, immediately stir in the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Mix in the chopped herbs and divide between four warm plates.
6. Add the quartered asparagus tips to the pan and heat for 1 minute. Spoon the asparagus tips over the fettuccine and top with whole herb leaves.

Serves 4

House-Made Egg Fettuccine

Ingredients:

• 4 tsp butter
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 whole egg
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 to 2 tablespoons water

Method:

1. In a large bowl crumble the butter, flour and salt between fingers to make a course meal.
2. Beat the eggs with one tablespoon of the water. Form a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour the eggs into the well. Incorporate the eggs by stirring in the flour mixture from the sides of the well a little at a time (if dough is too dry add some more of the water). When most of the flour is mixed in, forming a ball, transfer to a clean flat surface and knead for 10 minutes.
3. Cover and let rest for 1 hour, refrigerated.
4. Using a pasta machine roll into fettuccine noodles. Dry for at least 15   minutes on a pasta rack or baking sheet. Cook or refrigerate.

Makes 1/2 pound fettuccine

From “Inspired by Ingredients” (Simon and Schuster, November, 2004) by Bill Telepan and Andrew Friedman