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Penne with Asparagus and Prosciutto

Mama Colaruotolo traces this dish back to her ancestral home in Italy. While it originally called for Italian white wine, she substitutes her family’s Finger Lakes Chardonnay to create a New World masterpiece. The Finger Lakes wine adds distinctive fruitiness to the dish, even better the next day, allowing the flavors to integrate even more.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

Sea salt
1 pound penne pasta
1 pound asparagus
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup Casa Larga Vineyard Hill Chardonnay
1/4 pound prosciutto, diced
Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Grind some sea salt into the water and add the pasta. Cook until al dente and drain.

    Step 2

    Bring another large pot of water to a boil and grind some sea salt into it. Blanch the asparagus in the boiling salted water for less than 1 minute and then shock in ice water. Drain, remove, and discard the bottoms of the asparagus and slice the spears into 1-inch lengths.

    Step 3

    In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the onion. Sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and simmer for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

    Step 4

    Add the prosciutto and asparagus to the pan with the onion and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with freshly ground sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, toss with the pasta, and serve.

Greetings from the Finger Lakes
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