Pasta with Prosciutto, Asparagus, and Peas

Sometimes I am searching for a dish that can double as a main course or a side.  I think I have put one together that fits in either category.  Like many of you I like to read through cookbooks and create a new recipe from three of four I have found.  This time I was reading through old Bon Appetit magazines...(I am determined to cut down on what I keep...unfortunately, I end up cooking instead of purging the pile!) and I paged through a few cookbooks that just happened to have gotten mixed into the pile...I hadn't seen them in a very long time! 

I had been thinking of a pasta dish that could accompany the flank steak that the Kitchen Gnome was going to barbecue.  Since I could find nothing that excited me, I created my own.

Pasta with Prosciutto, Asparagus, and Peas

Serves 8

 8 oz thin asparagus, cut into 1 inch lengths
1/4 cup unsalted butter
4 oz slices of prosciutto, cut into 1/4 inch strips
8 oz mushrooms
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
2 green onion, thinly sliced
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup chicken stock
1 Tbsp flour
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley for garnish

1 pound pasta
Remaining grated Parmesan cheese

Cook asparagus in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer a bowl and set aside.  Reserve water in pot.

Melt butter in skillet over medium-low heat.  Add prosciutto and stir about 2 minutes.  Add mushrooms and saute until golden.  Add garlic and green onion.  Cook 1 minute.  Add flour and cook for about a minute but do not brown.  Stir in broth and cream, asparagus, and peas. Cook, stirring constantly until smooth and thickened, 3-4 minutes.  Stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan.  Turn off heat and mix in the tomatoes.

Bring reserved water to a boil.  Add pasta and cook until tender but firm to bite, stirring occasionally.  Drain.  Add pasta to skillet with sauce and toss to coat over low heat.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Remove from heat.  Stir in remaining Parmesan.  Transfer to large serving dish. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

This was really good!

It matched up to the flank steak beautifully.  A delicious meal!