Tagliatelle with Asparagus and Parma Ham

Cook the tagliatelle in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente. Before draining the pasta, reserve about a cup of the pasta water – this will be needed later for the sauce.

Meanwhile, peel the white asparagus and trim off the woody ends. For green asparagus, only peel the bottom third (if necessary) and also trim the ends. Cut the asparagus into bite-sized pieces (approx. thirds). In a pot of boiling water, cook the white asparagus for approx. 8 minutes and the green asparagus for approx. 5 minutes, until al dente. Then drain and briefly rinse with ice-cold water to preserve the color.

In a large pan, heat the butter together with the olive oil. Finely chop the garlic and sauté briefly. Add the prepared asparagus and lightly fry. Then add the cooked tagliatelle and a splash of the reserved pasta water to the pan and mix everything well.