Fettuccine al Prosciutto e Asparagi (Fettucini with Prosciutto and Asparagus)

I could have sworn I'd written this up before, but apparently not! It's basically just alfredo with asparagus, onion, and prosciutto, so if you've made any other "alfredo with ____" recipes you probably already have an idea how it's going to go.

I've presented it here almost as written (apart from switching from boiling to sauteeing the asparagus), but I can state from personal experience that bell peppers make a tasty addition to it, rotelle works fine as a pasta, and if you don't have any prosciutto, thinly sliced salami will do in a pinch.

Fettuccine al Prosciutto e Asparagi

The Classic Pasta Cookbook, p.95

Ingredients

• 1 lb dried fettuccine
• 3 tbsp butter
• ½ lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into ¾" lengths
  
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 4 oz (115g) prosciutto, cut into thin strips
• 1 C heavy cream
• ½ C freshly grated parmesan
  

Directions

1. Get some salted water boiling for the pasta.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large, deep-sided skillet over medium heat.
3. Add the onion and cook until it begins to soften.
4. Add the prosciutto and asparagus, and cook until the prosciutto begins to darken and lose its raw colour and the asparagus softens.
   
5. Stir in the cream and cook, stirring frequently, until reduced by half; remove from the heat.
6. When the pasta is cooked al dente, drain and toss with the sauce and cheese.