Go Back

Asparagus in paccheri with cheese sauce

Paccheri a large tube-shaped pasta, usually served stuffed. This asparagus in paccheri with cheese is a delicate dish, perfect as a starter at a dinner party.  It’s a quick and easy dish, although you have to coordinate the pasta cooking with making the white sauce, which need full attention. You can add a drop of kirsch to the sauce for special occasions. You can use any cheese you like - I made it with Gorgonzola.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Resting Time 4 hours
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 2 people
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 1234
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 bunch asparagus
  • About 9 paccheri pasta same amount as the asparagus
  • ½ cup milk
  • ¼ onion
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp corn flour optional
  • 50 g mature cheese of your choice Emmental, mature cheddar, blue cheese
  • Pepper

Method
 

  1. Cook the pasta in a pan if water, following the packet instructions, then drain under cold water. Set aside.
  2. Cut off the woody ends of the asparagus. Using a griddle pan, grill them until tender - or, if preferred, you can steam them over boiling water or add the to the pasta for the last 3 minutes of cooking, then drain.
  3. Also, while the pasta is cooking, make the white sauce. Heat the milk with the onion and bay leaf. Don’t let it boil. Turn off the heat and rest whilst the pasta is cooking.
  4. When the pasta is ready, remove the bay leaf and onion from the milk, then add your cheese and turn on the heat again. Stir until you get thick sauce. If you’re not using full fat cheese, first add the corn flour and heat the milk, stirring, until it has thickened. Then add the cheese.
  5. Push three asparagus pieces through each pasta tube, then pour over the white sauce.
  6. Serve immediately.