ASPARAGUS AND PARMIGIANO CUSTARD
(BUDINO DI PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO CON ASPARAGI GRATINATI)
Source: The Da Fiore Cookbook: Recipes from Venice's Best Restaurant by Damiano Martin
Makes 6 to 8 servings

Unsalted butter for greasing the pan
4 large eggs
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/12 cups (8 ounces) Parmigiano-Reggiano plus 1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) shavings
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 bunch (about 1 pound) green or white asparagus, washed, ends trimmed, stems peeled

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Thoroughly grease a 6-cup Bundt pan, preferably nonstick. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs and flour together.

Add the Parmigiano, cream, milk, and salt, mixing until well combined. Pour the custard into the prepared pan. Place the pan in a larger pan and fill with enough warm water to reach halfway up the sides of the Bundt pan.

Bake in the middle of the oven until set and firm, about an hour and 10 minutes. Let rest 20 minutes in the water bath before inverting the pudding from the pan.

During the last 30 minutes of cooking/resting, prepare the asparagus. Cook the spears in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness. Drain.

Generously grease a baking dish large enough to hold the asparagus in a single layer. Top with the Parmigiano shavings and place in the oven until lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes.

Invert the slightly warm pudding from the Bundt pan onto a decorative serving dish or platter. Arrange the cooked asparagus in the center and serve immediately.