If you love asparagus as much as I do, you cannot miss this recipe: Pasta with Asparagus and Speck is truly an easy, quick, and delicious main course to prepare. Choose your favorite pasta shape and let’s get started!
Over the years, I have offered you many asparagus recipes because my father and his partner often go asparagus hunting during the asparagus season, taking long walks in the countryside. The asparagus season runs from late March to early June, extending to mid or slightly beyond the month if the season is particularly favorable. Wild or found asparagus should be picked while still tender just as it emerges from the ground; otherwise, it becomes woody.
Here’s the trick to preserve them: I wash them well, let them dry thoroughly, then wrap them in kitchen paper towels and place them in a paper bag, like a bread bag, before storing them in the freezer. I have thus explained how to extend the presence of asparagus on our tables and in our delicious recipes by at least a month.
A couple of weeks ago, to prepare for the summer season, I presented the Asparagus Recipe Collection here on my blog. An entire collection of green asparagus recipes, either wild or found. From Egg and Asparagus Strips, one of my favorite recipes, as I adore the combination of eggs and asparagus. I also prepared stuffed hard-boiled eggs with asparagus cream, then the classic Risotto with asparagus and prosecco. The Savory Plumcake with ricotta and asparagus, the Savory Pie with asparagus and bacon, the Turkey rolls filled with asparagus, and many more. Have I piqued your curiosity? Great, fantastic, below you will find the clickable blue links to read them, all found in the Collection plus the other four that I adore the most!
I’ll leave you with the Pasta with Speck and Asparagus recipe and remind you that I am waiting for you every morning in the group and on the Facebook fan page of Le Ricette di Bea with the Recipe of the Day and many other contents live from my kitchen!!!
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring
- Energy 350.56 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 29.35 (g) of which sugars 0.97 (g)
- Proteins 21.65 (g)
- Fat 16.35 (g) of which saturated 4.74 (g)of which unsaturated 6.34 (g)
- Fibers 1.96 (g)
- Sodium 1,290.99 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 150 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Pasta with Asparagus and Speck
- 10 asparagus (fresh or frozen)
- 3.5 oz speck (cut thick to make many strips)
- 6.3 oz pasta (shape of your choice)
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
- to taste cheese (either pecorino romano or grana to grate)
- 1 to taste black pepper
Plus water for boiling the pasta, to which we will add a pinch of salt, and additional water for blanching the asparagus.
Tools for Preparing Pasta with Asparagus and Speck
- 1 Pan
- 1 Pot
- 1 Wooden Spoon
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Colander
- 1 Bowl
Steps for Pasta with Asparagus and Speck Recipe
Let’s start with the asparagus, wash them under running water and then pat dry with a cloth or kitchen paper towels. Place them on a wooden work surface and with a knife, remove the root part of each asparagus. Bring a small pot of water to a boil with a pinch of salt. Then, boil the asparagus for a few minutes—don’t overdo it, or they will become too soft and fall apart when we fry them with the speck.
When you can pierce the asparagus with a fork, you can turn off the water. Drain and place them in a small bowl with cold water and, if you have any, with ice to stop the cooking and maintain the green color of the asparagus. If you use frozen asparagus like I did, the green won’t be as bright as freshly picked. Now let’s focus on the speck.
Place the thick slice on the wooden cutting board and use a knife to cut many strips of speck. Take a non-stick pan and pour a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil inside, add the speck and place over medium-high heat. Allow to cook for a few moments and you will get crispy and savory speck strips. After a few minutes, add the asparagus tips and let them absorb flavor with the speck, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and black pepper.
Now it’s pasta time. Bring water to a boil with a pinch of salt and choose the shape you like most, generally it’s the one we always have in the pantry, the one we never get tired of. Once the pasta is ready, we can proceed, drain while keeping aside a ladle of cooking water.
Transfer the pasta to the pan with the asparagus and speck and add the ladle of water, sauté everything over medium-high heat. If necessary, add another drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Dish up and grate plenty of cheese, in my case pecorino romano, this will further enhance the flavor of our dish. What a fragrance, can you smell it? Surely not, but if you prepare this main dish, I assure you that you’ll be happy you did! I can only wish you bon appétit and remind you that I’m waiting for you here in my kitchen every day with new recipes and content!!!
Pasta with Asparagus and Speck Tips
You can substitute the smoked speck with prosciutto crudo or ham if you prefer. You can then choose to grate pecorino romano or grana padano or parmigiano reggiano, even salted ricotta will be perfect. As for the pasta shape, it’s up to you, from short pasta to long pasta, from whole wheat pasta to chickpea or lentil pasta. Get creative and try all the variations!
