On My Mind Monday

Great meals rarely start at points that all look like beginnings. They usually pick up where something else leaves off. This is how most of the best things are made - imagine if the world had to begin from scratch each dawn: a tree would never grow, nor would we ever get to see the etchings of gentle rings on a clamshell... Meals' ingredients must be allowed to topple into one another like dominos. Broccoli stems, their florets perfectly boiled in salty water, must be simmered with olive oil and eaten with shaved Parmesan on toast; their leftover cooking liquid kept for the base for soup, studded with other vegetables, drizzled with good olive oil, with the rind of the Parmesan added for heartiness. This continuity is the heart and soul of cooking.”

― Tamar Adler, An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace

This quote motivated me to make this pasta for last night's delicious, yet simple, dinner.  If only I made my own pasta, grew my own asparagus, and then collected eggs from my very own coop.  What I find so beautiful about this meal is the way a few ordinary, quality, healthful ingredients can combine to feel so satisfying and even sinful.

Ingredients

Coarse salt and ground pepper

3/4 pound linguine or fettuccine (we use whole wheat)

1 large bunch thin asparagus (1 pound), ends trimmed, halved lengthwise

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup grated Parmesan (1/2 ounce), plus more for serving

4 large eggs

Directions

1.In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions, adding the asparagus in the last minute of cooking. Reserve 1 cup cooking liquid; drain pasta and asparagus and return to pot along with butter and Parmesan. Toss until butter is melted, adding enough pasta water to create a thin sauce that coats pasta.

2.While pasta is cooking, in a large straight-sided skillet, heat 2 inches water over medium until a few bubbles rise to the top. Crack each egg into a small bowl and gently pour into skillet. Cook until whites are set and yolks are runny, 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer eggs to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

3.To serve, divide pasta among four bowls, top each serving with an egg, and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

Enjoy!