Pasta Presto

This recipe takes advantage of seasonal ingredients and it takes less than half an hour to cook. It’s just a matter of tossing parboiled asparagus with cooked bow-tie pasta, sauteed strips of prosciutto, green onions, lemon, parsley and Parmesan.

The result is fresh-tasting and colorful and looks like a lot more work than it is. Although this pasta is delicious as a main course, it could also serve as a side dish with broiled lamb chops, grilled salmon or sauteed chicken breasts. And if you want, serve it as a salad, just replace the butter with olive oil, add extra lemon juice and seasonings, leave out the cheese and serve at room temperature.

BOW-TIE PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS, LEMON AND PROSCIUTTO

2 pounds thin asparagus

Salt

6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into 1/4x4-inch julienne strips

1 cup finely chopped green onions including 2 inches of green stems

1 1/4 pounds bow-tie pasta

4 teaspoons grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2/3 cup chopped parsley

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup grated imported Parmesan cheese

Freshly ground pepper

Break off and discard tough woody stems from asparagus. Cut off tips. Diagonally cut spears into 1-inch pieces. Bring 8 cups water to boil in pot. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add tips and spear pieces. Boil until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain in colander. Rinse under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels.

Spray heavy medium-size skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Set pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add prosciutto strips and saute, stirring and tossing constantly, until strips are crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Add chopped green onions, stir and toss 1 minute more. Remove from heat and set aside.

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large, heavy pan. Add 1/2 tablespoon salt and pasta. Cook until pasta is tender but still firm to bite, 4 to 5 minutes for fresh pasta or 10 to 12 minutes for dried. Drain pasta in colander and return to pan.

Add cooked asparagus, prosciutto mixture, lemon zest and juice, parsley, butter and cheese. Season to taste with pepper. Stir and toss well to mix. Taste and, if desired, add salt, pepper and lemon juice. To serve, mound pasta in heated serving bowl or on platter. Serve hot. Makes 6 servings.