Asparagus 'a la Italia'

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 750 g asparagus, white, fresh
• 8 potatoes, fresh, waxy
• 4 slices of Parma ham
• 4 tbsp pine nuts
• 2 tbsp olive oil for roasting
• ¼ tsp oil (truffle oil)
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 pinch(s) black pepper, freshly ground
• 2 tbsp olive oil, mild

Instructions

Working time approx. 35 minutes; Total time approx. 35 minutes

Fresh asparagus, Parma ham and roasted pine nuts on fresh potatoes

Peel the potatoes, cut into approximately 1 cm thick slices, and boil in lightly salted water until soft. Peel the asparagus, generously trimming the lower ends. Let the asparagus (max. 15-18 cm long) simmer in lightly salted water with a pinch of sugar until tender (the cooking time depends on the thickness and quality of the asparagus). Cook the asparagus, but do not let it become mushy (you can check the correct cooking time by piercing it with a needle). Toast the pine nuts in a hot pan with the olive oil. Mix together the ingredients for the oil mixture. After the potatoes are cooked, arrange the potatoes on plates and add the oil mixture drop by drop over the potatoes. Arrange on the plate with the freshly toasted pine nuts, asparagus, and Parma ham and serve. Tip: The asparagus peels, the cooking water and asparagus trimmings may form the basic ingredients for a thickened asparagus soup.