Dinner Tonight
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[Photograph: Nick Kindelsperger]

About the author: Nick Kindelsperger is the editor of Serious Eats: Chicago. He loves tacos and spicy food. You can follow him as @nickdk on Twitter.

Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds asparagus, ends trimmed, stalks and tips cut into 1-inch segments
  • 3/4 pound dried linguini
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips
  • 2 tablespoons capers, drained
  • 1 tablespoon juice and 1 teaspoon zest from 1 lemon
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Grated parmesan, for serving

Procedures

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and prepare an ice bath. Add asparagus and cook until bright green and tender, about 2 minutes. Remove with a wire mesh strainer and transfer to an ice bath. When cold, drain in a colander, and then dry on paper towels. Set aside.

  2. Bring water back to a boil and add pasta. Cook according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water. When done, drain pasta in a colander.

  3. Meanwhile, heat butter in a 12-inch skillet set over medium until melted. Add capers and cook until very fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add asparagus and cook with the capers, tossing occasionally, until warm.

  4. Pour pasta water into skillet and bring to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and stir continuously, until water has reduced to a creamy sauce. Turn off the heat and stir in the pieces of prosciutto, lemon juice, lemon zest, and remaining tablespoon of butter. Taste and season with salt. Serve with grated parmesan.