Pasta Dough Procedure:

Form a well with the flour on a counter top, crack room temperature eggs in the center adding a pinch of salt. Knead for 5 minutes to form smooth pasta dough. Allow to rest 30 minutes minimum. Roll very thin and cut Tagliatelle ribbon noodles approximately 1/4-inch wide and 12-inches long.

Sauce Procedure:

Cut the asparagus at a diagonal, allowing the tip to remain approximately 1/4-inch long. Heat extra virgin olive oil in a large saute pan at medium temperature, adding minced garlic and red chili flakes. Do not brown garlic. When cooked, add diced tomatoes, basil leaves, asparagus slices, and chicken stock. Cook for 2 minutes at medium temperature, reducing liquid by 75 percent. Remove from heat.

Boil Tagliatelle in a large pot of salted boiling water. Stir with kitchen fork to prevent the noodles from sticking together. When the pasta is 90 percent cooked, set aside a small amount of the pasta water, then strain the pasta and add it to the saute pan. (Note: the crucial technique to understand is that by placing the pasta only 90 percent cooked in the sauce and adding a small amount of pasta water, the natural starch of the pasta binds the sauce and the flavor of the sauce penetrates the pasta.) Finish with freshly grated Parmigiana-Reggiano and garnish with Basil Bouquets.