Bigoli, Asparagus Cream, Guanciale

Introduction

Traditional bigoli all'uovo are one of the most recognisable fresh pastas of the Veneto. Their porous, rustic texture makes them perfect for holding rich, savoury sauces. In this gourmet recipe we pair the singular texture of bigoli with the delicacy of asparagus and the intensity of crisp guanciale, striking a balance of flavours that carries tradition into the present.

Bigoli and Asparagus: a Veneto Pairing

The bigoli all'uovo come from a tool before they come from a recipe: the bigolaro, a press of wood and brass that pushes the dough through a die and extrudes it slowly. It is that slowness that gives bigoli the rough, matt surface which sets them apart from a smooth spaghetto — a wall the sauce clings to instead of sliding off. In the Veneto the bigolaro was for generations an object of the home, not the workshop.

Asparagus, for its part, is the Veneto spring itself: the white of Bassano del Grappa and that of Cimadolmo carry the denomination, but it is the green field asparagus that ends up in the creams, because it has more chlorophyll and stands up better to blending. The recipe uses the whole vegetable: the stalks become cream, the tips stay whole for crunch.

The guanciale does not belong to local tradition but solves a real problem. Asparagus has a faintly bitter base, and cream softens it until it goes flat: you need something savoury and fatty to put tension back into the dish. Browned guanciale does exactly that, and its smoky note carries the green of the vegetable without covering it.

Ingredients (for 4 people)

250 g traditional bigoli all'uovo
400 g green asparagus
150 g diced guanciale
1 shallot
100 ml single cream
50 g grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Vegetable stock, as needed
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper

Equipment Needed

Nothing specialised: what you need is a wide pan, because finishing bigoli asks for room.

A stick blender for the asparagus cream: a jug blender works too, but makes more washing-up and cools the cream down
A non-stick pan for the guanciale, used without added fat — the guanciale gives up its own
A wide frying pan or a shallow pot for tossing the bigoli: if the pasta piles up it does not emulsify, it clumps
A slotted spoon to move the bigoli from the water to the pan, bringing a little cooking water with them
A vegetable peeler for the asparagus stalk, which wants to be peeled and not snapped: you recover a good deal of flesh that would otherwise be thrown away

Method

Trim the asparagus, removing the woody end of the stalk. Cut off the tips and slice the stalks into rounds.
In a pan, soften the chopped shallot with a thread of oil. Add the asparagus stalks and cover with vegetable stock. Cook for 15 minutes until tender.
Blend the cooked stalks with the cream until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
In a non-stick pan, brown the guanciale until crisp, then drain it on kitchen paper.
In the same pan, quickly sauté the asparagus tips in the guanciale fat.
Cook the bigoli in plenty of salted water for 4–5 minutes, then drain them al dente.
Toss the bigoli in the pan with the asparagus cream, adding a ladle of cooking water if needed.
Plate up, finishing with the asparagus tips, the crisp guanciale and a dusting of Parmigiano Reggiano.

Wine and Beer Pairings

Asparagus is the ingredient that throws pairings into crisis: it has a green note and a faintly bitter base that with many wines produces a metallic aftertaste. Here, though, it is not alone: the cream softens it and the crisp guanciale brings salt and fat. The wine has to meet the asparagus on its own ground — the herbaceous one — and at the same time have the acidity to dissolve the cream.

The White We Recommend

Sauvignon Veneto I.G.T. — Italo Cescon — This is the wine of asparagus, and not by convention: Sauvignon has the same herbaceous molecules — tomato leaf, box, green pepper — that in asparagus are the fault to be tamed and here become an echo. On that common ground the two recognise each other instead of quarrelling, and the taut acidity cuts the cream and the fat of the guanciale. Serve at 10–12 °C.

The More Structured Alternative

Madre Manzoni Bianco Biologico Vintage 2022 — Italo Cescon — If you make the cream generous with cream and Parmigiano, you need more body. Manzoni Bianco comes from Rhine Riesling and Pinot Blanc, ages on the lees and brings together white flowers, citrus and an acid backbone that cuts fat without asking permission. It gives up the herbaceous echo of the Sauvignon and gains in structure: take this route when the guanciale is generous. Serve at 10–12 °C.

Want to know more about the grape? our guide to Manzoni Bianco

Craft Beer as an Alternative

Bratty Blanche Beer — birra di frumento belga — The Belgian Blanche brings coriander and citrus peel: two notes that on asparagus work like a grating of lemon, lightening it rather than covering it. The wheat gives a roundness that goes with the cream, and the fine carbonation cleans the guanciale fat away with every sip. Serve at 5–6 °C.

Want to know more about the style? wheat beers

Serve It With

To close the dish, something crunchy and neutral works, nothing that competes with the asparagus: the yeast-free crackers with extra virgin olive oil are the cleanest choice, because without yeast they bring no fermentation notes that would jar with the vegetable.

Variations and Tips

Without guanciale: for a vegetarian version, replace it with flaked almonds toasted in a pan. They bring the crunch and a bitter note related to the asparagus, but no salt — so season the cream a little more
With white asparagus: the cream comes out more delicate and paler. It is worth adding half a teaspoon of grated lemon zest, or the dish falls flat
Lighter: replace the cream with the asparagus cooking water and a spoonful of ricotta. The cream holds, and the vegetable flavour comes through more
If the cream turns fibrous: you blended the woody part too. Pass it through a sieve, and next time peel the stalks as far as the knife goes in without effort
To get ahead: the cream can be made the day before and kept in the fridge. The tips and the guanciale, though, have to be done at the last minute: they lose their crunch within half an hour

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes for the cream, no for the tips. Blended frozen stalks give a result very close to fresh, because blending hides the way the fibre gives out. The tips, though, release water as they thaw and turn soft: if all you have is frozen, skip the tips and close the dish with more guanciale and a grating of lemon zest.

Because they are fresh egg pasta and release a lot of starch. They want plenty of water — at least a litre per 100 grams — stirring in the first thirty seconds, and draining al dente to finish in the pan. If you have to wait, dress them straight away with a thread of oil rather than leaving them in the colander.

Cold pan, medium-low heat, no added fat. The guanciale has to render its white side slowly: it is that fat which fries it. If you start from a hot pan the lean part seals and stays rubbery. When it is golden, drain it on kitchen paper and keep it out of the cream until plating.

Only in parts. The asparagus cream holds a day in the fridge and reheats gently, loosened with a spoonful of water. The bigoli, the tips and the guanciale have to be done at the last minute: reheated egg pasta loses the roughness that is its whole reason for being.