Fettuccine Alfredo with Asparagus Bundles

Hello everyone! Welcome to Djalali Cooks. I sure do love pasta! I rarely make a classic pasta like Fettuccine Alfredo though. But sometimes, I just have a strong craving for a creamy, rich pasta dish. We also have Asparagus Bundles: Asparagus spears wrapped with prosciutto or, for this dish, I have Serrano Ham. I have been thinking about these Asparagus Bundles since Thanksgiving! They were going to be on our Turkey Day menu, but I realized we already had way too much going on. So they make an appearance today; and I must say, they are a great compliment to the rich and creamy Alfredo.

Asparagus Bundles

We can start with the asparagus and while they’re roasting, we can get to the pasta and sauce. But first, preheat the oven to 425 degrees and get some salted water going for the pasta.

For the bundles, have a sheet tray alongside your cutting board. This will be our work station. Carefully, so as not to break apart the ham slices, lay a single ham slice on the cutting board. Place about 3-4 asparagus spears on one side of the ham slice. Fold the short side of the ham (on the right side of the asparagus) over the bundle, then roll the whole bundle, making a tight roll.

I was able to get five bundles with my bunch of asparagus. Depending on the thickness of the spears, you may get more or less. Once they’re all wrapped, pop them in the oven for 10-15 minutes, turning them over, halfway through.

Alfredo Sauce

If your pasta water is boiling, just turn it down to a simmer while we get the sauce going. The fettuccine will be al dente in about 12 minutes, so we will drop the noodles in the water just after we get the sauce going.

Over low heat, get the butter melting and add the heavy cream. Bring it up to a simmer.

Once it’s simmering and the butter is completely melted, add the Parmesan cheese. Freshly grated Parmesan will get you a completely smooth texture. I used Trader Joe’s grated Parmesan and Romano. While it mostly all melted, there were some bits that didn’t. I don’t mind this at all, but of you want silky smooth Alfredo, freshly grate your Parmesan. At this point, start your noodles.

Stir in the dried herbs. I feel the Parmesan and the salted butter add enough salt, but taste it now to see if it needs salt. Keep whisking until cheese is melted. The sauce will thicken as it cooks.

After 12 minutes in the water, taste a noodle to confirm al dente doneness. I always scoop out a half cup of pasta water before I strain the noodles, just in case I need to add it to whatever sauce I have going, to thicken it up. So do that, then strain the noodles. I poured the sauce into the empty pasta pot and then added the noodles to the sauce and tossed with tongs to coat all the noodles.

If you feel that you want it thicker, add a little pasta water and give it a good stir and toss with the tongs. I felt that my Alfredo was fine as is, so I didn’t add any pasta water.

This is optional, but I love fresh flat leaf parsley, so I tossed the pasta with about 1/4 cup of fresh parsley.

Using the tongs, mound a serving of pasta on a plate and top with fresh cracked black pepper. Place an Asparagus Bundle on top and there you have it – Fettuccine Alfredo with Asparagus Bundles!

I hope the next time a craving for rich, creamy pasta strikes you, you consider this Fettuccine Alfredo with Asparagus Bundles! Make them together, or make them separately, they’re both amazing. This is a quick and easy weeknight meal with a ton of rich flavor. Let me know if you give it a try, reach out in the comments, or on facebook, Instagram or Pinterest. In case you missed it Monday, I posted my techniques for perfect eggs at home in a handy tutorial with step by step pictures and easy to follow instructions. Check it out on How to Make: Eggs. Take care everyone, and be well. xo Kelly

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Fettuccine Alfredo with Asparagus Bundles

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Dinner, Main Course – American/Italian

By Kelly Djalali – Serves: 2-6

Prep Time: 10 Minutes – Cooking Time: 15-20 Minutes – Total Time: 30 Minutes

Rich, creamy Alfredo Sauce and Fettuccine noodles topped with bundles of Asparagus wrapped in Prosciutto, roasted to perfection. This is an easy weeknight dish that packs a ton of rich flavor and feels like you ordered it at a restaurant.

Ingredients

• Asparagus Bundles
• 1 bunch Asparagus
• 1 package Prosciutto (or Serrano Ham)
• Fettuccine Alfredo
• 1 package Fettuccine Noodles, cooked according to package directions
• 1/2 cup Butter
• 1.5 cups Heavy Cream
• 2 cups Grated Parmesan
• 1/2 tsp. Dried Oregano
• 1/2 tsp. Dried Thyme
• 1/2 tsp. Dried Basil
• 1/4 cup Fresh Parsley, rough chopped (optional)
• Fresh Cracked Pepper and Salt to taste

Instructions

1

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2

Start water to boil for pasta.

Asparagus Bundles

3

Carefully separate a single slice of Prosciutto and lay it flat on a cutting board.

4

Take 3-4 Asparagus spears and lay them in a bundle, perpendicular to the ham, at one end of the ham slice.

5

Fold the short side of the ham over the asparagus and continue to roll the bundle into a tight roll.

6

Repeat for remaining asparagus and ham. You should get 4-6 bundles.

7

Lay bundles on a rimmed sheet tray and bake for 10-15 minutes, turning halfway through. Bundles are done when the asparagus is tender and the ham is browning and crispy.

Fettuccine Alfredo

8

In a large saucepan over low heat, melt butter and add cream. Bring to a simmer and cook while stirring for 2 minutes.

9

Add Parmesan cheese and whisk until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth.

10

Season with dried herbs and add salt to taste.

11

Let sauce simmer and thicken, stirring often.

12

Drain noodles and transfer sauce to empty pasta pot. Add noodles and toss to coat noodles with sauce. Add parsley if using, and toss to combine.

13

Using tongs, place a serving of Fettuccine on a plate and crack black pepper over the noodles. Top with 1-2 Asparagus Bundles.