What a great combination this was … good friends, good food, good wine and good times — it certainly was a delightful casual Saturday night dinner at home!
1 pound fettuccine pasta
1/2 pound fresh broccolini
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar, or to taste
8-10 ice cubes
8 ounces thinly-sliced Prosciutto di Parma
(cut into 1-inch pieces; excess fat removed)
1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup finely-chopped shallots
4 cups heavy whipping cream (do not substitute!)
1/2 cup freshly-grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
(or to taste, plus extra cheese for garnishing)
3/4 teaspoon freshly-ground nutmeg, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper, or to taste
1/4 cup broccolini liquid, or as needed
1/2 cup half-and-half cream, or as needed
3/4 teaspoon freshly-ground nutmeg, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper, or to taste
Cook pasta in rapidly boiling, salted water just to the al dente stage. Drain well, set aside, and keep warm. Trim ends from the broccolini; slit stems, lengthwise, leaving the heads attached. Place in a shallow glass bowl and sprinkle sparingly with sugar. Add 8-10 ice cubes, cover the dish, and microwave on high 4-5 minutes. Leave the dish covered, and set broccolini aside; reserve liquid in the dish for later use. Meanwhile, sauté prosciutto in a large nonstick skillet until lightly browned and slightly crispy. Add butter and shallots to the pan and cook 2-3 minutes more. Add whipping cream, bring mixture to a slow boil, and cook very gently until sauce has reduced and thickened. Sprinkle cheese over the simmering creamy mixture; blend together until cheese melts and the sauce is smooth. Add nutmeg and pepper, to taste, and simmer slowly 2-3 minutes more. Stir in 1/4 cup of the broccolini cooking liquid; discard any remaining liquid. Simmer 2-4 more minutes and stir in half-and-half cream, if desired, to bring sauce to the desired consistency. Stir to blend well, then add cooked pasta to the sauce. Toss gently to cover the pasta well with sauce, adding 1/4 cup of the warm pasta water, if desired, to smooth out the sauce consistency. Add broccolini to the pan, and serve immediately with additional cheese on the side, to garnish. — Serves 8-10