Once again, it’s confession time at made by mike. I love a runny egg yolk. At breakfast I like to dip my toast into the yolk of an over-easy fried egg. I enjoy a piping hot bowl of pasta Carbonaro with its yolky sauce. I was very happy when I came across the recipe for Linguine with Asparagus and Egg in the new April edition of Everyday Food magazine.

It’s a quick recipe. Well the slicing of the thin asparagus wasn’t quick, and kind of felt dangerous. Sharp chef’s knife plus thin, prone to rolling, asparagus equals a recipe for a potential bloody disaster. Thankfully, I made it through the task a little shaken, but unscathed. Ok, perhaps that was a bit of a dramatization.

Once the pasta and asparagus have cooked and drained you stir in butter, Parmesan cheese and a bit of the reserved pasta water to create a sauce. All that’s left is to nestle a poached egg on top. One stab of your fork, and you release the runny yolk to add another level of richness to the sauce. It’s pretty fantastic.

Linguine with Asparagus and Egg – Everyday Food, April 2011

• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3/4 pound of linguine
• 1 large bunch of thin asparagus, ends trimmed, halved lengthwise
• 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 4 large eggs

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions, adding asparagus in the last minute of cooking. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid; drain pasta and asparagus and return to pot along with the butter and Parmesan. Toss until butter is melted, adding enough pasta water to create a thin sauce that coats the pasta.
2. While pasta is cooking, in a large straight-sided skillet, heat 2 inches of water over medium heat until a few bubbles rise to the top. Crack each egg into a small bowl and gently pour into the skillet. Cook until whites are set and yolks are runny, 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer each egg to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
3. To serve, divide pasta and asparagus among four bowls, top each serving with an egg, and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan if desired.