Spaghetti With Asparagus, Smoked Mozzarella And Prosciutto

Total Time: 360 hrs 10 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 360 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 2 lbs asparagus, trimmed
• 3/4 lb spaghetti
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 ounces prosciutto, cut into crosswise strips
• 6 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese, cut in 1/4 inch dice (1 cup)
• 6 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
• salt
• fresh ground black pepper

Recipe

• 1 bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the asparagus until tender crisp, about 2-3 minutes.
• 2 remove asparagus with a slotted dpoon and plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.
• 3 when cool, strain the asparagus and cut into 1 inch pieces then set aside.
• 4 using the same pot, cook the spaghetti until al dente, about 8 minutes (10-12 if using linguine).
• 5 reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and set aside.
• 6 drain the pasta.
• 7 heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.
• 8 add the garlic and saute until fragrant, then add the proscuitto strips.
• 9 saute until the prosciutto is slightly crisp and add the asparagus, then season with salt if using and freshly ground pepper to taste.
• 10 add the pasta to the saute pan as well as 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water, and toss to coat.
• 11 add the smoked mozzarella and the fresh basil and continue to toss until combined, adding additional pasta water if necessary.
• 12 turn off the heat and continue to toss.
• 13 the pasta will become creamy as the mozzarella starts to melt.