8 quarts boiling salted water
1/2 box bowtie pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 shallots, finely minced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 stick butter
1 cup 1/4-inch cubed pancetta
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup chicken stock
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
6 anchovy fillets
Place pasta into boiling water, cooking until al dente; refresh in cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain and toss the pasta briefly in the olive oil.
In a heavy-bottomed pot, sweat the shallots and garlic over a medium-low flame with 1 tablespoon of butter until translucent. Add the pancetta and sweat an additional 2 minutes, constantly stirring. Add the asparagus to the pancetta mixture. Stir and add the chicken stock. As the stock warms, add the remaining butter, stirring to incorporate and thicken the mix. (Don’t allow mixture to boil or the sauce will split. If the sauce is thin, add more butter.) Season with salt and pepper. Add the pasta and toss in the sauce.
Place pasta in warm bowls and top with grated Parmesan and anchovy filets. Crack fresh pepper over the pasta and serve. Serves 6.
