Gargati with spring ragu (il consiero)

Method8 steps · about 1 hr 15 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Wash the asparagus (500 g) and snap or cut away the woody ends. Tie the spears into bundles of about eight using kitchen string. If using fresh peas, shell enough to provide 250 g usable peas; keep them ready for step 4. For the frozen-pea alternative, use 150 g in step 5 instead.

   Uses 500 g asparagus, washed and trimmed · 250 g shelled fresh peas only if using the fresh-pea route

   
2. 2

   Step 2: Coarsely cut the three meats and lardo (60 g) into small pieces, keeping the lardo separate. Peel and finely chop the onion and shallots; wash and finely chop the carrot. Wash and chop the handful of mixed fresh herbs, and rinse the bay leaves (1–2), leaving them whole.

   Uses 120 g pork tenderloin · 120 g veal tenderloin · 120 g chicken breast · 60 g lardo or chosen cured-pork alternative · 1 onion (peeled and finely chopped) · 2 shallots (peeled and finely chopped) · 1 carrot (washed and finely chopped) · 1 handful mixed fresh rosemary, sage and marjoram

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Fry the prepared onion, carrot and shallots with the lardo in the olive oil (2–3 tablespoons) until the vegetables begin to soften and the lardo begins to melt. Add all three prepared meats, raise the heat and sauté until they start to brown.

   Uses All the prepared soffritto vegetables · All 60 g chopped lardo or its chosen alternative · 2–3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil · All three 120 g portions of prepared raw meat

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Add the chopped herbs, whole bay leaves and freshly grated nutmeg (½ teaspoon). Pour in the white wine and let it evaporate, then stir in the tomato paste (1–2 tablespoons). Add the prepared fresh peas now if using that route. Season with sauce salt and pepper, mix and reduce the heat to a simmer.

   Uses The meat and vegetable mixture · All the prepared handful of herbs and 1–2 bay leaves · ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg · ½ glass white wine · 1–2 tablespoons tomato paste · All 250 g shelled peas only for the fresh-pea route · Salt for the meat and vegetable sauce, to taste · ground black pepper (to taste)

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Heat the listed cup of stock until boiling. Simmer the sauce for about 15–20 minutes until the meat is tender and cooked through, adding small amounts of the hot stock and stirring as needed. If using frozen peas instead of fresh (150 g), add all 150 g during the last 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaves when the sauce is ready.

   Simmer meat sauce · 20 minUses The assembled sauce, with fresh peas only if that route was selected · Some of the 1 cup stock, heated and added in small amounts as needed · 150 g frozen peas only instead of fresh, added during the last 5 minutes

6. 6

   Step 6: Bring a pot of water to the boil for the asparagus and pasta. Add the cooking-water salt and return it to the boil.

   Uses Water for boiling asparagus and then pasta in the same pot, as needed · Salt for the boiling asparagus and pasta water, as needed

7. 7

   Step 7: Cook the prepared asparagus in the boiling salted water for about 5–10 minutes until tender, then lift it out and hold it for serving. The timer is for the asparagus only. Add all the pasta to the same water and cook according to its own packet until al dente; fresh gargati and alternative dried tubes have different timings.

   Asparagus only: boil until tender · 10 minUses All the prepared asparagus · The prepared pot of salted water · 400 g fresh egg gargati or the chosen small-tube alternative

8. 8

   Step 8: Drain the al dente pasta and mix with the finished ragu. Serve the cooked asparagus whole alongside, or cut it into pieces now and mix into the pasta and sauce. Grate and add the optional Parmigiano or Grana at serving if desired.

   Uses All the cooked pasta · All the finished sauce with its selected pea route · All the cooked asparagus held aside · Optional Parmigiano or Grana, freshly grated as required