This recipe, sent to me by reader Leah (who writes the food blog Lady With A Fork), is yet another done-in-ten-minutes-and-delicious one. Can you tell that I’m maybe compiling a bunch of double-quick recipes to have ready for the arrival of The Small One? Yes yes, I’ll freeze a whole bunch of stuff to have at hand for those first couple of weeks, but honestly, I’d rather spend the before-bed hours with my family than with the stove, so I expect that these kinds of recipes will be going into even heavier rotation than they already are in the weeks and months to come.
A couple of notes: first, this meal is pretty salty, thanks to the prosciutto, so my advice would be to take care with the seasonings (e.g. don’t just dump on the amount of salt you ordinarily add to pasta dishes; take a moment to taste it first). And second, while I’m not usually a fan of smoked cheeses, Leah strongly recommended using smoked mozzarella rather than the regular stuff in this dish…and she was right: it adds a ton of flavor, and blends beautifully with the prosciutto. So while of course (and as always) you should do what you like, I’m going to second her recommendation for the smoky stuff.
ROTINI WITH ASPARAGUS, SMOKED MOZZARELLA & PROSCIUTTO
What you need:
1 box rotini (or pasta of choice)
1 bunch asparagus, cleaned and cut into 1″ pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 oz smoked mozzarella, diced (I used half a large ball)
6-8 thin slices prosciutto
1 large handful fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
What you do:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. 2 minutes before pasta will be done, add the asparagus. Drain pasta and asparagus, reserving a little of the cooking liquid for later.
2. In a large skillet, saute garlic for about thirty seconds, until just beginning to color. Add pasta, asparagus, and pasta water, season lightly, and toss to coat.
3. Remove skillet from heat and add mozzarella, prosciutto and basil. Toss to combine, and season to taste.
P.S. Last night, I served this dish alongside warm pita triangles and a selection of dips (Kalamata Olive, Spicy Feta, Tzatziki, and Dill Hummus) from Nature’s Gifts Market. It was spectacular, and sorta weirdly fancy-feeling, despite how fast and easy the whole thing was.
