Ham & Asparagus Pasta

The clever move here is cooking the asparagus, ham strips, and bell pepper right in the pasta water during the last 4 minutes. One pot, one drain, and everything comes out cooked together. No extra pans for the vegetables.

The sauce simmers separately while the pasta cooks. Stewed tomatoes reduced with basil, oregano, parsley, and a pinch of red pepper for 15 minutes, then skim evaporated milk stirred in at the end. The evaporated milk creates a creamy, rose-colored sauce that’s lighter than one made with heavy cream but still has richness.

Don’t boil the sauce after adding the evaporated milk. It can curdle if it hits a full boil. Just heat through gently.

Bias-cutting the asparagus into 1-inch pieces at an angle exposes more surface area and gives each piece an elegant, elongated shape that looks better on the plate.

Kitchen Tips

• Snap the asparagus at its natural break point to remove the woody base. The stalk breaks where tender meets tough.
• Use wagon wheel or corkscrew pasta. Their shapes catch and hold the chunky tomato sauce better than smooth noodles.
• Reduce the tomato sauce to exactly 2 ½ cups. Under-reduced sauce is too thin and waters down the evaporated milk.
• Serve immediately with grated Parmesan. This dish doesn’t hold well since the pasta absorbs the sauce as it sits.

Variations

• Chicken version: Replace ham with shredded rotisserie chicken for a different protein.
• Penne arrabbiata style: Increase the red pepper flakes and skip the evaporated milk for a spicier, dairy-free sauce.