Tagliatelle Pasta with Grana Fonduta & Broccoli Rabe

The sauce for this delectable creamy pasta is crafted from duck egg yolks, Grana-style cheese and crème fraîche.

Ingredients:
2 large duck egg yolks
1½ cups crème fraîche
5 ounces Grana-style cheese, finely grated, plus a bit more for finishing
1 medium garlic clove, finely grated on a rasp-style grater
1 bunch broccoli rabe, trimmed of tough ends and separated into florets
1 pound tagliatelle pasta, or other favorite pasta noodle
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Method:
1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, bring an inch or two of water to a boil in a small pot. Whisk together the egg yolks, crème fraîche, Grana and garlic in a heatproof bowl that will fit snugly inside the pot without making contact with the boiling water.

2. Set the bowl in the small pot and whisk the egg mixture constantly, occasionally scraping the sides and removing the bowl from the pot every couple of minutes as you whisk to keep the cooking nice and slow (don’t let it boil). Cook just until the sauce has thickened slightly (it should thinly coat the back of a spoon), 6 to 8 minutes. Set the bowl aside in a warm place.

3. Add the noodles to the boiling salted water and cook until al dente, dropping in the broccoli rabe during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain the pasta and broccoli, then return to the pot, tossing to coat with most of the fonduta sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add more fonduta as desired. Serve with additional freshly-grated Grana-style cheese.