Casarecce pasta with asparagus, serrano, tomatoes and white beans in a Parmesan garlic butter sauce

I could smell the leftovers from this dish being reheated in the microwave by my husband this afternoon and just as the smell completely captivated me, the evidence of its whereabouts became a mystery. As soon as the microwaved chimed, my husband took to the patio and devoured all that remained. "You didn't even ask if I wanted some?!" I was completely aware there was only enough for one person but I like giving him a hard time ;) My husband can sometimes be a man of few words, so moments like these are his "tell" when he really enjoys a dish. Sometimes selfishness is a form of a compliment ;) Haha

Now, I'm not Italian and if you have seen how pale my skin is, you wouldn't be surprised. But I believe somehow, my stomach, received a large portion of the gene. Don't ask me how, but its true. I could eat pasta, pizza, tapas and bread all the days of my life. That being said, I don't have an Italian grandmother to disappoint when I say, I don't cook my pasta in a large pot. What?! You might be thinking, but let me explain...

I have read recipe after recipe saying "add pasta water to the sauce" and time after time it completely dilutes my sauce. So I was either very sparing with the pasta water or completely omitted it. It wasn't until I realized that when you cook the pasta in a medium-sized pot, (for lack of options because let's be honest, I didn't want to do dishes :P) the starches were able to build up faster and the whole reason you add pasta water to a sauce is for the starch or else plain ole tap water would do the trick. See where I'm going with this? So using a medium pot rather than large, gave me starchier pasta water, thus thickening my sauce rather than thinning it out. Voila! No more soupy sauce for this gal :)

So here's my tip(s). After the pasta noodles are added to the pot of boiling water, make sure to stir the noodles occasionally during the first couple of minutes and every so often during the cook time to prevent them from sticking. (And trust me, if you added a bunch of noodles to a large pot and didn't stir it, the noodles would stick together just the same) Make sure to turn the heat down as needed and always remember to add a generous amount of salt to the water. If it tastes like the ocean, you're in good hands!

Now, let's get cooking! :D

Casarecce pasta with asparagus, Serrano ham, tomatoes and white beans

in a Parmesan garlic butter sauce

Serves 4

250 g Casarecce pasta (whole wheat Fusilli pasta makes a great alternative)

½ Cup Pasta Water (reserved)

1 bunch (400 g) Asparagus

Olive oil for cooking

4 Cloves Garlic grated (use a Microplane grater)

4 Slices of Serrano Ham

½ Stick (56 g) Butter

15 Cherry Tomatoes sliced lengthwise

1 tbsp Freshly chopped flat leaf parsley

Salt and (freshly ground) Pepper to taste

Bring a medium pot of generously salted water to a boil and add pasta stirring occasionally during the first few minutes to prevent the pasta from sticking and cook one minute less than package instructions. Remove ½ cup of pasta water before draining and set aside.
Bring another medium sized bowl of lightly salted water to a boil and in the meantime, prep your asparagus.
Cut the ends of the asparagus just at the point where they begin to discolor, appearing white and woody. With a peeler, remove the skins off of each stem, beginning just under their leafy tops, downwards. Then proceed to cut the asparagus into quarters.
Once the water has come to a boil, add the asparagus and cook for only 3 minutes. Strain at once and run them under cold water or set in an ice bath to prevent further cooking. Set aside.
On a cutting board, begin pulling apart the serrano ham by hand, no need to use a knife, into varying sizes (small/medium pieces). To prevent the pieces from sticking together, give each piece space on the board, laying them side by side, not one on top of the other.
With a Microplane grater, grate your garlic and set aside.
Drain and wash the beans and set aside.
Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add a couple tablespoons of olive oil and begin placing the ham (spaced out) into the skillet.
Add the beans and cook for a few minutes, just until the beans take on a little golden color.
Add the garlic and shake the pan well in order to distribute the garlic evenly. Cook for a couple minutes until the garlic becomes soft and fragrant. Turn the heat down if garlic is beginning to brown. The garlic may adhere to some pieces of ham so continue to give the pan a couple more good shakes to distribute the garlic.
Next add the butter, asparagus, and pasta and mix until all the pieces are coated. Slowly add the pasta water, mixing simultaneously. Add the parmesan and mix until melted and well coated.
To end, add the tomatoes, parsley, salt and pepper and give another good mix and serve immediately.