TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Fettuccine con Asparagi e SpeckFettuccine with Asparagus and Speck
A dish rich in Alto Adige’s mountain cooking. The aroma of speck, South Tyrolean smoked cured ham, and asparagus sweetness are united by cream and tossed with fettuccine. Bacon may replace unavailable speck, but the smoky aroma must be present.
AUTHENTICITY SCORE
Authenticity Score
This is the standard recipe, exactly as it’s made where it comes from — the highest Authenticity Score possible. Substituting ingredients changes this score; the app shows exactly how, ingredient by ingredient.
Ingredients (4 servings)
- Fettuccine320 g
- Green asparagusSnap off tough bases, separate the 5 cm tips and thinly slice the remaining stems diagonally400 g
- South Tyrolean speckCut into strips 1 cm wide80 g
- Heavy cream (at least 35% fat)150 ml
- Unsalted butter30 g
- GarlicThinly sliced1 clove
- Parmigiano Reggiano60 g
- Gruyère30 g
- Dry white wine80 ml
- Black peppera little
Method
Cut the asparagus
- 1 Snap off and discard the tough asparagus bases.
- 2 Separate the 5 cm tips.
- 3 Thinly slice the remaining stems diagonally.
Ready when
This is complete when everything is cut.
Cut the ingredients
- 1 Cut the speck into strips 1 cm wide.
- 2 Thinly slice the garlic.
Ready when
This is complete when both are cut.
Cook the garlic
- 1 Melt 30 g butter in a frying pan and cook the sliced garlic over low heat for 1 minute.
Ready when
Continue when lightly colored.
Cook the speck
- 1 MeanwhileStart bringing a large pot of water to the boil, with 10 g salt per 1 L water.
- 2 Add the speck and cook over medium heat for 2–3 minutes.
- 3 Once its fat has rendered and it is crisp, remove and reserve.
Ready when
Remove the speck when crisp.
Sauté the asparagus
- 1 Add the diagonal asparagus slices and sauté over medium heat for 3 minutes.
Ready when
Continue when lightly browned and softened.
Add the tips and wine
- 1 Add the asparagus tips and cook for a further 1–2 minutes.
- 2 Add 80 ml white wine and cook off the alcohol, about 1 minute.
Ready when
This is complete when the alcohol has evaporated.
Caution
Do not overcook the tips; preserve their texture.
Finish the sauce
- 1 Add 150 ml heavy cream and reduce over medium-low heat for 3 minutes.
- 2 Add the Gruyère and half the Parmigiano and melt into the sauce.
- 3 Season with 1/4 tsp salt and 3–4 grinds black pepper, keeping salt modest because the speck is salty.
Ready when
This is complete when the cheeses have melted and the sauce is ready.
Cook the pasta
- 1 Add the fettuccine to the prepared boiling salted water and cook al dente, 1 minute less than the package time.
Ready when
Lift out when al dente.
Coat the pasta
- 1 Lift out the fettuccine al dente and transfer to the frying pan.
- 2 Toss quickly.
- 3 Adjust the sauce with 2–3 tbsp cooking water.
Ready when
This is complete when all the pasta is coated.
Finish with cheese and pepper
- 1 Plate and grate the remaining Parmigiano on top.
- 2 Grind over black pepper.
Ready when
The dish is ready once the cheese and pepper are added.
About this dish
Alto Adige, or South Tyrol, is a culturally distinctive region where German is widely spoken despite being part of Italy. Surrounded by the Dolomites, its cooking forms a world of its own, combining Italian and Austrian-Tyrolean food cultures.
Speck is its emblem. South Tyrol’s distinctive method of smoking cured ham before aging it in mountain air creates an ingredient combining prosciutto’s delicacy with bacon’s strength. White asparagus is harvested in Alto Adige’s valleys in spring, and pairing it with speck is a seasonal local tradition. Broad fettuccine holds these rich Alpine ingredients beautifully.
Bring the full course home next weekend.
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