Tagliatelle with Asparagus and Parma Ham

Cook the tagliatelle in plenty of boiling salted water according to package instructions until al dente. Before draining, reserve about one cup of the pasta water and set aside.

Peel the white asparagus and trim off the woody ends. For green asparagus, only trim the ends; peeling is usually not necessary. Cut the asparagus into bite-sized pieces. In a pot of boiling water, cook the white asparagus for approx. 8 minutes and the green asparagus for approx. 5 minutes. Then drain and briefly rinse with ice-cold water.

Heat butter and olive oil in a large pan. Finely chop the garlic and sauté briefly. Add the asparagus pieces and lightly fry. Then add the tagliatelle and a splash of the reserved pasta water and mix everything well.