Mock Carbonara with Asparagus

(It’s ‘mock’ because it uses sun-dried tomatoes instead of meat, and it’s ‘mock’ because the eggs are cooked.)

If you time it right and manage to do each of the three processes — heat the water and boil the pasta; roast the asparagus; and sauté and combine the sauce — simultaneously, the whole thing can be done in 20 minutes.]

To serve 2-4:

• 3/4lb to 1lb penne, rigatoni, or any pasta
• asparagus, medium-thick stalks
• olive oil

• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1-2 oz. sun-dried tomatoes (or to taste), julienned
• 1/2 – 1 clove garlic, minced, to taste

• fresh basil, chiffonade
• salt and pepper

Set pasta water to boil. Preheat over to 375. (If needed, soak sun-dried tomatoes in warm water to soften.)

Trim and diagonal-cut asparagus. Toss in olive oil and a little salt and pepper. Spread on roasting pan and put in oven until softened some but not overcooked (10-20 min).

When pasta water boils, salt it and add the pasta.

Meanwhile, heat plenty of olive oil in a large high-sided skillet, add shallots and garlic and cook, stirring, over a gentle flame so they soften without browning. After about 5 minutes, stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and continue cooking.

In a large bowl, lightly beat egg yolks, then stir in cream, then cheese.

When pasta is just coming to al dente, add a splash of the pasta water to the sauté pan to loosen anything stuck to the bottom. Turn the heat up a little, stir in the egg, cream and cheese mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until it is heated through to just below the simmer point so eggs are cooked (probably 2-4 minutes). (Taste for salt and adjust. Sun-dried tomatoes may add enough saltiness without adding any more.)

Add asparagus to pan with sauce, then stir in the pasta to coat and mix. Stir in basil, plate, and add some grated pepper.

–Prepared with our help by Phil on March 25