Spaghetti With Asparagus, Smoked Mozzarella and Prosciutto

Submitted by BonnieZ

"Something different than the typical spaghetti with red sauce. This dish bursts with flavor,and is simple to put together. I do omit the salt when I make this and have also used linguine which I actually like better. Delicious with a simple mixed green salad and good crusty bread. Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis."

 

• Ready In: 360hrs 10mins
• Ingredients: 9
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• 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

directions

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.

Reviews

[Ria Bia]

This dish is very light and flavorful. My boyfriend always asks me to make it!

 

[TinTN]

This was simply wonderful. Very quick to come together. Very fresh and light. My entire family loved it. Followed the recipe exactly. I wouldn't change a thing. This will become part of my regular rotation. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!

 

[bricookie55]

My family really really enjoyed this! The only complaint about it was that we should have made more! We used bacon in place of the prosciutto, and just used the bacon grease in place of olive oil. Everything else was done according to the recipe. Quick, easy to throw together, and delicious! Thanks, Giada, and thanks to you, Bonnie, for posting!