| 1 box | BARILLA Pipette |
| 1 quart | milk |
| 4 tablespoons | flour |
| 4 tablespoons | butter |
| 1-1/3 cups (4 ounces) | Montasio cheese, grated* (may substitute fontinella cheese) |
| 2 tablespoons | extra virgin olive oil |
| 2-1/2 cups (1 pound) | asparagus, cut into 1/3 inch pieces |
| to taste | salt |
| to taste | white pepper |
| 1/4 cup | Parmigiano cheese, grated |
PREHEAT oven to 350F.
BRING a large pot of water to a boil.
HEAT milk in a small sauce pan; do not boil. Melt butter in a separate 4 quart sauce pan. Add flour to butter and cook 3-4 minutes, stirring with a wire whisk.
ADD hot milk gradually, continuously stirring with a whisk to prevent lumps. Heat over medium heat until sauce thickens. Stir in the cheese. Whisk until melted. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
HEAT oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add asparagus and sauté 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
COOK pasta 1/2 of the recommended cook time. Drain and combine with the cheese sauce and the asparagus.
TRANSFER to a 13x 9 glass baking dish, sprinkle with Parmigiano cheese. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
Montasio cheese can be purchased at http://www.igourmet.com Montasio is a pasture-terraced mountain located to the northeast of Venice in the Friuli-Venezia region of Italy. The cheese Montasio was originally made by the monks who occupied the monastery t