When brainstorming recipe ideas for the “EAT” section of this story, I had so many dishes to choose from. I mean, Liz ate such wonderful food in Italy–what to choose? Pizza in Napoli! Spaghetti in Roma! Tacchino in Toscana! But I was so enamored with the whole idea and simplicity of dolce far niente, as described by the character Luca Spaghetti, which means “the sweetness of doing nothing. So I went with it. As Americans, we do tend to live a lifestyle in which we feel that we have to “deserve” a break or a reward. I thought the approachability and charm of Liz’s dish with the hard-cooked egg, olives, cheese and roasted asparagus that she made (while dressed in a beautiful silk négligée at that) in a scene in the movie was perfection. Here’s my interpretation of the dish below.

Roasted Asparagus with Black Olives, Lemon Vinaigrette, Pecorino Romano and a Soft-Cooked Egg
Serves 1

INGREDIENTS
7 each asparagus spears
2 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt, to taste
1/4 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove, peeled and smashed
1/2 lemon, juiced (peel reserved for grating)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup black olives, drained, pitted and lightly smashed
1/8 cup Pecorino Romano, grated
1 each egg

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 350º F degrees. Wash the asparagus and snap the ends to remove the tough edges. Place the asparagus spears onto a baking sheet, giving each spear enough space between each other. Drizzle the 2 tablespoons of oil and sprinkle the salt. Roast the asparagus for 7-10 minutes, till slightly tender.

While the asparagus is roasting, add the dijon, garlic and lemon juice into a small bowl, stirring together to incorporate. Drizzle the rest of the olive oil into the bowl. Set aside.

Fill a small saucepan with water and heat to boil. Slowly add the egg into the boiling water. Set a timer for 6 minutes. Turn the heat down to low. After 6 minutes, turn off the heat and set the timer for an additional minute, then place the egg in an ice bath. Let the egg sit in the ice water for another minute. Remove the egg and lightly crack the top and base, gently removing the shell so as to not break the egg yolk. Set aside.

ASSEMBLY
Place the asparagus spears onto a plate. Add the black olives. Lightly drizzle the vinaigrette over the asparagus and olives. Using a Microplane, grate the Pecorino Romano and lemon peel over the plate. Gently place the egg over the asparagus and break that yolk upon serving!

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(Editor’s Note: All movie screenshots in this story are property of Columbia Pictures.)