Orecchiette with asparagus, prosciutto and toasted bread crumbs

Last week, I eagerly marched over to the farmers market hoping the offerings would be caught up to the heavenly spring weather we’ve been having lately. But, the scene was pretty grim - mostly potatoes and root vegetables, apples and some greens. Asparagus, though, was aplenty. I’m not even a big fan of asparagus, but out of desperation to transition to warm weather cooking, I bought two pounds anyway.

That night, I cooked half of it in the simplest, most common way - in olive oil with garlic and lemon. Over the weekend, I remembered this brilliant pasta recipe I saw in Bon Appetit and was inspired to create my own. Asparagus and prosciutto are a classic combination, but bread crumbs on pasta? Yeah, it does seem a little weird - especially to the carb-phobes out there (hashtag #carbicide, amiright?). But take my word for it - it is brilliant! Butter-crisped fresh bread crumbs are the perfect topping to complement the chewy pasta, crisp asparagus and salty bits of prosciutto.

Orecchiette with asparagus, prosciutto and toasted bread crumbs

Although there are many lovely flavors in this dish, the pasta is still the star, so be sure to buy the best kind you can find. Don’t forget to reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water before draining the pasta - it is essential to the texture of your final product. For breakfast, reheat leftover pasta in olive oil and stir in a beaten egg for a carbonara-style dish.

(Yield: 6-8 servings)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Orecchiette, or other short-cut pasta
• Sea salt
• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 lb asparagus, trimmed, cut on a diagonal into 1″ pieces
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• Zest of 1/2 a lemon (about 1/2 tsp)
• 1/3 c finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbsp butter, divided
• 6 slices prosciutto, torn into strips
• 1 c fresh bread crumbs*

*To make fresh bread crumbs: Tear 3-4 slices day-old, white country-style bread and place in the food processor. Pulse until ground. Fresh bread crumbs may be made ahead (whenever you have extra bread on hand) and frozen in an air-tight container for up to 4 months.

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Before draining pasta, reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water.
2. In the meantime, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet. Add asparagus, season with salt and pepper, and cook, tossing occasionally, until browned in places but still bright and crisp, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and lemon zest and cook for another minute. Add cooked pasta, cheese, 1 tablespoon butter and 1/3 cup reserved pasta water into the skillet. Stir until cheese and butter are melted. Stir in prosciutto. If the pasta seems a bit dry, stir in a bit more pasta water.
3. Simultaneously, you may toast the bread crumbs. In a small skillet, combine remaining 1 tablespoon butter with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-low heat. Add bread crumbs and toast, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes.
4. Top pasta with toasted bread crumbs right before serving.