The pasta and sauce cook simultaneously (so two cooks can divide and conquer), for a total of about ten minutes, start to finish. Serve with your best bottle of bubbly.
Ingredients
3 ounces fettuccine
8 ounces asparagus, trimmed, each spear cut on diagonal into 4 pieces
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons salmon caviar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Directions
Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Add asparagus and cook until pasta is tender but still firm to bite, about 3 minutes longer. Drain. Transfer to large bowl.
Meanwhile, stir cream, 1 tablespoon butter, and lemon peel in heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat until mixture comes to simmer. Reduce heat to low. Whisk in 2 tablespoons cheese. Cook until sauce is smooth and thickens slightly, stirring constantly, about 1 minute.
Add sauce to pasta and asparagus and toss to coat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter, 2 tablespoons cheese, and lemon juice; toss again to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide pasta mixture between 2 warm bowls. Spoon salmon caviar atop pasta. Sprinkle with chives and serve.
