Mama Colaruotolo traces this dish back to her ancestral home in Italy. While it originally called for Italian white wine, she substitutes her family’s Finger Lakes Chardonnay to create a New World masterpiece. The Finger Lakes wine adds distinctive fruitiness to the dish, even better the next day, allowing the flavors to integrate even more.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4 to 6

　　Sea salt

　　1 pound penne pasta

　　1 pound asparagus

　　1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

　　1 large yellow onion, chopped

　　1/2 cup Casa Larga Vineyard Hill Chardonnay

　　1/4 pound prosciutto, diced

　　Freshly ground black pepper

　　

Step 1

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Grind some sea salt into the water and add the pasta. Cook until al dente and drain.

　　

Step 2

Bring another large pot of water to a boil and grind some sea salt into it. Blanch the asparagus in the boiling salted water for less than 1 minute and then shock in ice water. Drain, remove, and discard the bottoms of the asparagus and slice the spears into 1-inch lengths.

　　

Step 3

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the onion. Sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and simmer for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

　　

Step 4

Add the prosciutto and asparagus to the pan with the onion and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with freshly ground sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, toss with the pasta, and serve.

　　Greetings from the Finger Lakes