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 cut off the woody ends. For green asparagus, only peel the bottom third and also trim the ends. Cut the asparagus into bite-sized pieces (approx. thirds). 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 to preserve the color.

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