Tagliatelle with Asparagus and Parma Ham

Place the pasta in boiling, salted water and cook until done. Before draining, set aside one mug of the cooking water to use later for the sauce.

Peel the white asparagus and cut off the woody ends. Green asparagus does not need to be peeled, just remove the small leaves from the stalks. Cook the asparagus in hot water: green for 5 minutes, white for 8 minutes. Then drain and rinse with cold water.

In a pan, heat the butter with the olive oil. Cut the cooked asparagus into thirds, add to the pan, and lightly sauté. Then add the tagliatelle and a little of the reserved cooking water, and mix thoroughly.