Asparagus pasta with ham and fine cream cheese sauce

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 500 g asparagus, white or green or mixed
• 150 g ham
• 250 g ribbon pasta, narrow
• 150 g cream cheese, natural
• 1 pack of sauce, light
• 750 ml water
• 1 shot of white wine or 1 shot of sherry
• Salt and pepper or 1 dashes soy sauce
• nutmeg
• n. B. Clarified butter or neutral oil

Instructions

Working time approx. 10 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

Super delicious from one pot

Cut the peeled asparagus into 1-2 cm pieces and the ham into strips. I’m partial to white asparagus, but this recipe can also be made with green asparagus, or for a more interesting color, half white and half green asparagus. Sauté the asparagus pieces and ham strips in a little fat/oil. I prefer a little clarified butter, as it adds a slightly nutty flavor, but a neutral oil will also work. Deglaze with a splash of white wine; my choice here is a crisp Württemberg Riesling (I love producer bottlings; they’re simply honest!), which also goes perfectly with the meal. Stir the light sauce into about 300 ml of water (avoid lumps) and add the asparagus. Add another 400 ml of water and bring to a boil. Then add the pasta directly and cook over medium heat until soft, stirring frequently. Depending on the pasta’s absorbency, you may need to add more liquid. Because the pasta doesn’t float completely in the boiling liquid as usual, the cooking time will be longer than the package instructions indicate. When the pasta is al dente, fold in the cream cheese—low-fat is fine here—and season with freshly ground pepper and nutmeg, and perhaps salt/soy sauce. Tip: Since you want a full flavor with relatively few spices, it’s a mistake to skimp on the ham. To get a good aroma, you should use a nice, aromatic ham with a strong flavor, such as baked ham, grilled ham, or juniper ham. Saving tip: I come from an asparagus region, and in season, producers offer “low-quality” asparagus at very reasonable prices. Since the asparagus is chopped into small pieces, this grade is absolutely suitable.