Goat Cheese Agnolotti with Asparagus, Butter and Lemon
Recipe by: Regina Zona
“I ate this dish at Eataly in New York City in their cooking school and the waiter gave me the recipe. It is delicious and light! I boat the goat cheese filled agnolotti at the Eataly market but when I have made the recipe since, I used cheese filled tortellini and it was just as good.”
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds of goat cheese agnolotti or if you can’t find that, use small cheese tortellini
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups of asparagus, cut into ¾ by 1/8 inch strips
- 1 cup butter, diced into ½ by ½ inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons lemon zest
- The juice from two lemons
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season it with salt until it is as salty as the sea. Add the angolotti (or tortellini) and stir to prevent them from sticking to each other.
Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the asparagus and cook until it is bright green and just beginning to soften, for about 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of water and reduce the heat to simmer. Add the butter and swirl it into the pan with the asparagus and water until it emulsifies into the sauce. Add the lemon zest and the lemon juice and stir to marry all of the flavors and allow the sauce to thicken, about 5 minutes.
When the angolotti (or tortellini) float to the surface, drain and add them to the saute pan. Cook the pasta in the sauce for 1 minute. The pasta should be coated in the sauce with very little excess liquid in the bottom of the pan. If the sauce is too dry, add additional water and stir.
Season the dish with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the agnolotti into the center of a warmed pasta bowl and serve.