Today, I will show you how to prepare delicious handmade farfalle with asparagus, saffron, and fresh cheese. Our egg pasta will have a relatively low hydration to ensure the farfalle keep their shape perfectly during cooking.
Ingredients
For the fresh pasta:
- 150 g of all-purpose flour
- 1 whole egg
- 2 egg yolks
For the sauce:
- 1 packet of saffron powder
- 50 g of fresh cheese
- 300 g of fresh asparagus
- Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 garlic clove
Instructions
Preparing the fresh pasta.
Making the dough:
- Pour the flour onto a work surface, forming a well.
- Break the whole egg and add the two yolks in the center of the well.
- With a fork, lightly beat the eggs and start incorporating the flour from the edges.
- Continue mixing until a homogeneous dough forms.
- Knead the dough by hand for about 10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 60 minutes.
Shaping the farfalle:
- After resting, roll out the dough with a rolling pin or a pasta machine until it is thin (about 1-2 mm thick).
- Cut the dough into strips about 4 cm wide using a fluted pastry wheel.
- Cut each strip into rectangles about 2.5 cm tall using a plain pastry wheel.
- Pinch each rectangle in the center to form the farfalle.
- Place the farfalle on a pasta drying rack and let them dry for at least 30 minutes.
Preparing the sauce.
Preparing the asparagus:
- Wash the asparagus and remove the woody ends.
- Cut the asparagus into rounds, leaving the tips whole.
- Blanch the asparagus in boiling water for 1-2 minutes. Cool them in cold water and dry well.
- In a pan, heat some extra virgin olive oil with a garlic clove and add the asparagus stems. Add the tips near the end of cooking.
- Cook the asparagus for about 5-7 minutes, until they are tender but still crisp.
- Season with salt.
Cooking the pasta and assembling the dish.
Cooking the pasta:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Cook the fresh farfalle for about 1-2 minutes, until al dente. Fresh pasta cooks very quickly; if overcooked, it will lose its shape.
Assembly:
- Drain the pasta directly into the pan with the asparagus.
- Add the saffron previously dissolved in a little hot water.
- Add the fresh cheese.
- Mix everything together and toss the pasta.
- If necessary, add some pasta cooking water to achieve a creamy consistency.
Serving:
- Plate the farfalle with the asparagus and the saffron cheese sauce.
- Finish with a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper, if desired.
Here is the link to the YouTube video with the complete recipe: https://youtu.be/44XrYeRlx14