Creamy asparagus spaghetti with fried quail eggs.

Method10 steps · about 1 hr

1. 1

   Step 1: Remove the woody ends from the asparagus and wash the spears. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the asparagus until just tender. Lift the asparagus out, keeping the blanching water in the pot, and rinse the asparagus under very cold water.

   Uses 1.1 lb green asparagus · Water for blanching and cold rinsing · Salt for the shared asparagus and pasta cooking water

2. 2

   Step 2: Keep the asparagus blanching water for cooking the spaghetti. If necessary, transfer it to a larger pasta pot and add enough extra water for the spaghetti.

   Uses Reserved asparagus cooking water from step 1 · Extra water only if needed to fill the pasta pot

3. 3

   Step 3: Bring the retained asparagus cooking water back to a boil. Cook the 11.5 oz spaghetti until al dente according to its packet. Reserve 1 cup of the hot pasta water, then drain the spaghetti and keep it warm.

   Uses Asparagus cooking water transferred in step 2 · 11.5 oz spaghetti

4. 4

   Step 4: While the spaghetti cooks, divide the blanched asparagus: reserve a few whole spears for frying and serving; cut the tips off the remaining spears and set them aside with a few stalks; chop the rest of the stalks into small pieces. Peel and finely chop the onion.

   Uses All blanched asparagus from step 1 · 1 white onion

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Melt some of the measured 1.5 oz butter in a large nonstick skillet, keeping the rest for frying the asparagus and eggs. Sauté the chopped onion and chopped asparagus stalks from step 4 over low-medium heat, stirring until softened.

   Uses Chopped stalks and chopped onion from step 4 · Some of the 1.5 oz butter; reserve enough for steps 7 and 9

   
6. 6

   Step 6: Add a little of the hot pasta cooking water reserved in step 3 to the softened onion and stalks. Purée in a food processor or in a deep bowl with an immersion blender; keep any unused cooking water aside.

   Uses Sautéed onion and asparagus from step 5 · A little of the reserved 1 cup pasta water from step 3

   
7. 7

   Step 7: Return the asparagus purée to the large skillet and stir in the reserved tips and stalks from step 4. Season to taste with sauce salt and black pepper and simmer gently. In another pan, sauté the reserved whole spears from step 4 in some of the remaining measured butter until soft. Keep these fried spears aside for serving and retain the last share of butter for the eggs.

   Uses Creamed asparagus and onion from step 6 · Reserved tips and a few stalks from step 4 · Whole blanched spears kept for frying in step 4 · Salt to taste, for the asparagus sauce · Freshly ground black pepper, to taste · Some of the remaining measured butter; keep the last share for eggs

   
8. 8

   Step 8: Toss the cooked spaghetti with the creamy asparagus sauce and the 2 oz grated cheese. Keep over very low heat while frying the eggs. To make a vegetarian version, choose a labelled vegetarian hard grating cheese instead of traditional Parmigiano, grana or Pecorino.

   Uses Drained warm spaghetti from step 3 · Purée with tips and stalks from step 7 · 2 oz grated Parmigiano

   
9. 9

   Step 9: Fry the 12 quail eggs in the remaining butter until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny. The source allows 4 normal eggs in place of the 12 quail eggs; use one egg choice only.

   Uses 12 quail eggs · The remaining measured butter for frying the eggs

10. 10

    Step 10: Divide the asparagus spaghetti among four plates. Top with the fried eggs and the butter-fried whole asparagus spears. Serve immediately.

    Uses Tossed spaghetti and creamy sauce from step 8 · Fried eggs from step 9 · Whole spears sautéed and reserved in step 7