Asparagus is my favorite Vegetable. there are different types of asparagus: green, white, purple, smaller and wild, this doesn’t matter to me I like them all! when I cook asparagus I pay a lot of attention to not damage the head which is incredibly tasty when consistent. I boil asparagus in a little quantity of water so at the end of this process they will be like steamed and not boiled I do this because I don’t want to disperse the asparagus taste in the water.

Further recipe details you’ll find in category “Preparations – Preparing Asparagus” and category “Preparations – Dough For Salty Pie”

 

 

Ingredients: (6-8 portions)

two pounds (1 kilo) of Asparagus

one pound (500 grams) of seasoned grounded Cheese (Parmesan, Grana, Pecorino)

three fresh Eggs – Marine Salt

few Garlic Cloves – two spoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

half pound (250 grams) of Flour (type 00) – 3.5 ounces (100 grams) of fresh Beer Yeast (you can also use dry yeast if you cannot get the fresh one)

half pound (250 grams) of Butter – 9 ounces (a quarter of liter) of Milk (whole is better) – a small spoon of Sugar (brown is better)

 

 

 

refer to category “Preparations – Preparing Asparagus”: cut each asparagus where the green change in to white

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

you can see internally it is still green and tender, if it is white is too hard to eat and there is enormous difference in taste between the green and the white part; use only the green for this preparation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

wash the asparagus in running water: don’t be rude! use kindness and your dish will be wonderfully tasty!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

set apart to dry a bit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

you see this part? going to the head is the best of this Vegetable: it is also the most tender so we need to take care of it…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

cut the best part off!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

now you got two parts: the heads will be cooked later…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the stem will be cooked before and for longer time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

so separate each head from its stem

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

put in a bowl the heads only

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

we keep the heads apart for now…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…regarding the stems…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…we put them in a bowl with fresh water for a little bit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

with delicacy cut the heads in smaller parts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

always not cutting the top of the heads (where are the petals which are more delicate and tasty: we don’t want to hurt them!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

put back in the bowl

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

take out from the water the stems and to cut them in small pieces: less than half-inch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

put apart

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

prepare a pot with little water inside: as you can see the depth is less than one inch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

put on the fire to boil adding one pinch of Marine Salt, cover with a lid or the water will evaporate too much, we need a small quantity of water to make the steam

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

as soon water is boiling drop the pieces of stems

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

cover with a lid and cook for three minutes, no more than five minutes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

as you see the color is beautifully green!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

immediately drop in the colander

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

set apart to cool down

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

let’s go to prepare the Dough!

please check details in “Preparations – Dough For Salty Pie”

add fresh Beer Yeast to half cup of warm Milk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

in order to speed the growning process add a bit of sugar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

after 15 minutes it will be ready!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

mix the Butter with the Flour

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

mix very well

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

add the Yeast

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

mix everything

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

add two spoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

conclude your Dough, it must become homogeneous and soft (if it is too hard add some milk if it is too soft and stick on your fingers add some flour)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

this is fantastic Dough!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

divide in two parts and make two balls: the first one a little bit bigger

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

put some Flour on the wood

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and go to mold the first Dough ball with your hands

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

first making a round plate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and then using the “Mattarello” stick

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

make a large and thin plate: again please refer to category “Preparing Dough for Salty Pie” all details are in there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

get your oven-pan on top to get the correct size you need

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

cut the pasta a bit larger than the oven-pan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

prepare a second large and thin plate with your second ball of dough

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

spread some flour on the bottom of your oven-pan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

put inside the first plate of pasta

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

enlarge with your fingers and the palms of your hands: fill all the spaces

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

this is the good result: do not break the pasta! if it breaks put a small piece of (thin) pasta on top  to cover the hole

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

back to the stuffing: drop the asparagus stems pieces (only stems – do not chop the heads and their pieces) in to the food processor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

add three-four Garlic Cloves: if you don’t like Garlic or you have allergy to it simply do not put it!

chop for two minutes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

add three Eggs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

add the Cheese (already grounded)

and chop everything for two-three minutes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

this is the result!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

set the asparagus heads and their tender pieces on top of the pasta in the oven-pan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

after that add the mixing from the food-processor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

spread well on the bottom

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

set on top the second plate of pasta: no hurry! do it slow and with kindness

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

on the oven-pan border you should have the two external parts of the two pasta plates: put them together and turn them for all the perimeter of the border

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

as you finish make some small holes with a knife: the steam produced from the heat will go out from these holes avoiding to break the top surface of your pie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

some drops of Extra Virgin Olive Oil on the top

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

are spread around to have a characteristic final color

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

it is time to cook you pie :

approximately 25 minutes at 660 Fahrenheit (350 Celsius) or 35 minutes at 480 Fahrenheit (250 Celsius) but remember you must check as a tasty smell will recall you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

here the pie perfectly cooked!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

this is my first portion: it was a fantastic experience!