WELCOME TO 'AL DENTE' - the gourmet cooking page with hygienist extraordinaire, Marla Schaefer! Marla works in a dental practice in Madison WI and has also owned and operated her own gourmet restaurant. Short of experiencing Marla’s fabulous cooking for yourself, DHAW will be featuring outstanding dishes for you to try for yourself from Marla's recipe box!

Whether you’re looking for a new twist on summer special occasion ingredients or a way to use leftovers from hosting the big event, this recipe fits the bill.  And as this is my first entry for   “Al dente”, I just had to feature a pasta dish!

 I adapted this recipe from one, which is a favorite of my husband’s.  The original recipe does not include hard cooked eggs and calls for green bell peppers in place of the asparagus and grilled chicken breast for the ham.   As you can tell, this recipe is well suited to many variations and substitutions.  Be creative and enjoy!

Penne Pasta with Ham and Asparagus

1 lb penne pasta

¼ cup olive oil

4 small cloves garlic, minced

2 cups tomatoes, seeded and chopped

2 cups asparagus cut into 1-1/½ inch pieces*

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 cup white wine

2 cups ham, cut into 1- 1 ½ inch strips**

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

¼ - ½ cup fresh basil, thinly sliced ***

4 hard cooked eggs, shells removed and chopped**

Additional grated Parmesan to taste

Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Generously salt the boiling water and add the pasta.  Cook until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes.  Drain.

While the pasta water is coming to a boil, prep sauce ingredients.  After salt and pasta have been added to the boiling water, heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat.  Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 20 seconds.  Add tomatoes and asparagus to skillet.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Sauté until tomatoes have given up their juices.  Add wine, ham, grated parmesan and drained pasta.  Stir.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes.  Add basil and chopped eggs.  Stir.  Serve with additional grated Parmesan cheese to taste.

* If using leftover previously cooked asparagus, add after the tomatoes have given up their juices, along with the wine, ham, etc.  

** Use more or less depending on taste and/or amount of leftovers

*** Pesto works well as a substitute for fresh basil