Asparagus and pancetta pasta, a mouth-watering first course

Simple, quick and tasty, asparagus and pancetta pasta is a perfect first course for all occasions. Here are our tips for preparing it.

Finding quick and easy first courses is not that simple, especially if you are looking for something different from the usual recipes. This is why we have decided to offer you the asparagus and pancetta pasta, a perfect preparation for Spring , the season in which you can find excellent fresh asparagus.

The idea of ​​combining asparagus and pancetta in a sauce is quite apt: the delicate flavor of the first fruits marries perfectly with the strong flavor of the pancetta. Here’s how to proceed!

How to prepare the recipe for pasta with asparagus and pancetta

1. Start by finely chopping the shallot and browning it in a pan with two tablespoons of oil . Also add a pinch of salt to help release liquids.
2. In the meantime, wash the asparagus , remove the final part of the stem (too leathery to be consumed but excellent for preparing a broth) and cut the stem into rings, keeping the tip whole.
3. Cook the pasta in abundant salted water for the time indicated on the package.
4. Add the asparagus to the pan and cook for 5 minutes adding, as needed, the cooking water of the pasta.
5. When the asparagus are nice and soft, take a part of it and blend it with the mixer together with the grated cheese and a little more cooking water. The cream should be nice and smooth and you can keep it aside.
6. In the pan where the chopped asparagus remain, add the diced bacon, the asparagus tips and a pinch of pepper. Cook until the salami is nice toasted, then turn off the heat and set everything aside.
7. Once the pasta is ready, drain and toss in the pan adding a ladle of cooking water and the asparagus cream.
8. Let it go over a high flame, stirring often, until it is well whipped (it must not be a pasta in broth!). Then add the rest of the asparagus and the pancetta.

If you don’t like the idea of ​​preparing a pasta with asparagus cream, you can also avoid blending a part of it and prepare the sauce only with chopped asparagus, tips and bacon. If the final result is not creamy enough, use a few ladles of cooking water and, if you like, the grated cheese. Do you love this vegetable? So here are all our best asparagus recipes to try!

Asparagus and speck pasta: a tasty variant

In a completely analogous way you can prepare asparagus and speck pasta simply by replacing this tasty ingredient with smoky hints for pancetta.

However, we invite you to pay more attention to two aspects: the first is not to overcook the speck or it will tend to become hard, the second concerns the overall flavor of the dish. In fact, speck is tastier than pancetta. For the rest, you will get an equally tasty and easy to prepare first course.

storage

The asparagus and pancetta pasta can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container or covered with cling film. The best way to enjoy it is to heat it in a pan by adding just a drizzle of oil. Keeping the heat low and putting a lid on it will be as good as freshly made if not more!