The latest issue of Bon Appetit arrived in my mailbox yesterday, and I have already picked out a dish I’m going to make from the magazine:

 

Farfalle with Mascarpone, Asparagus & Hazelnuts

2 LBS slender asparagus, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 2” lengths (about 2 cups)

3 TBS olive oil

1 LB farfalle (bow-tie pasta)

1 container (8 oz.) mascarpone cheese

2/3 C Parmesan cheese, grated

½ C hazelnuts, toasted, husked & coarsely chopped

3 TBS fresh chives, chopped

Parmesan cheese shavings

Salt & pepper to taste

 

Preheat the oven to 450° F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; place asparagus on prepared sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat and spread in a single layer. Roast until asparagus is tender, about ten minutes. (Can be prepared two hours ahead; let stand at room temperature).

 

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but firm to bite; stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving one cup of pasta cooking water. Return pasta to pot; stir in mascarpone, grated Parmesan cheese and asparagus. Toss over medium-low heat until pasta is coated with sauce and mixture is heated through, adding reserved pasta water by ¼ cupfuls if dry, about three minutes. Mound the pasta in a large shallow serving bowl; sprinkle with hazelnuts, chives and Parmesan cheese shavings.

 

Of course there are more divine recipes in April’s issue of Bon Appetit, but I’m making time for the dish above because I love all of the food combinations (especially the asparagus and hazelnuts). I’ll post another entry when I know how the dish turned out.