Ingredients

Instructions

  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.