Ingredients

• 24 spears asparagus
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup spinach leaves
• Kosher salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 pound elbow macaroni or other small tube pasta
• 2–3 Tablespoons mascarpone cheese
• 2 teaspoons minced chives
• white truffle oil, for drizzling
• finely chopped black truffle (optional)
• shaved Parmesan Reggiano cheese

Instructions

To prepare the broth, peel the asparagus and reserve the trimmings. Cut the spears into 2-inch pieces and set aside.

In a saucepan, combine the trimmings and chicken broth. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the spinach and seasonings, and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve into a clean pan. Continue reducing the liquid until 1 cup remains.

Add the heavy cream to the reduced broth and simmer until the mixture is reduced to 2 cups total.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to the package directions. Reserve some of the pasta water once the pasta is done cooking. Rinse the pasta under cold water and set aside.

Place the asparagus pieces in the same boiling water and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and immediately transfer them to an ice bath. Drain well and set aside.

Add the cooked pasta to the reduced cream sauce and warm gently over low heat. Stir in the mascarpone cheese until fully incorporated. Add the asparagus and heat through.

To serve, spoon the pasta into shallow bowls. Drizzle the edges with white truffle oil and garnish with minced chives, chopped black truffle (if using), and shaved Parmesan Reggiano.