Ingredients for 5-6 people:500 g Rigatoni500 g green asparagus1 carrot1 stalk of celery1 medium size onion1 sprig of parsley1 clove of garlic3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil½ glass water80 g spicy salami sliced thinly (according to taste)2-3 tbsp grated Pecorino cheese per person20 g butter salt and pepper to taste For the béchamel sauce:500 ml milk50 g plain Flour50 g butter½ tsp nutmeg salt
After cleaning and washing them, cut the carrot, onion and celery into pieces, then chop them finely together with the parsley and garlic. Cut off the white, tough part of the asparagus, then wash the spears and tender part, dry them and cut them into pieces. Sauté the chopped vegetables and herbs in a heavy-bottomed frying pan with the olive oil. As soon as they begin to brown, add the pieces of asparagus, stir well and season with salt and pepper. Pour in half a glass of water, stir and after about 10 minutes, when the water has evaporated, check to see if the pieces of asparagus are cooked; if they’re “al dente” (= firm to the bite), turn off the heat. Now prepare the béchamel sauce: put the butter in a small (heavy-bottomed) pan over a low heat. As soon as it has melted, add the flour and stir for 2-3 minutes with a wooden spoon, without letting the mixture brown. In the meanwhile, bring the milk to the boil. Pour a small amount of boiling milk into the saucepan and mix thoroughly; gradually add all the milk, stirring constantly. Cook for approximately 10 minutes, over a very low heat, taking care that the sauce doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat off and season with salt and nutmeg. Add the asparagus and 2 spoonfuls of grated pecorino to the béchamel, stir everything together well.
Cook the rigatoni in boiling, salted water, strain when very “al dente” and transfer into an oven dish. Add the béchamel with asparagus, and mix carefully. Dot small knobs of butter (taken out of the fridge about 20 minutes beforehand) over the surface, add the slices of salami and sprinkle with the remaining grated pecorino. Bake in a preheated oven, at 220 °C, for roughly 20 minutes. For the last 5 minutes, turn on the grill function in the oven so that a nice golden crust forms on top of your pasta.