Giuliano Hazan

Spaghetti with Mascarpone and Prosciutto

Spaghetti al Mascarpone e Prosciutto

Preparation info

  • Difficulty

    Easy

  • Serves

    4

Appears in

Giuliano Hazan's Thirty Minute Pasta

Giuliano Hazan's Thirty Minute Pasta

By Giuliano Hazan

Published 2009

  • About

Mascarpone is a sinfully good cheese that, when fresh, is amazing just by itself, generously slathered on a piece of good bread. In specialty delis in Italy, such as Pecks in Milan or Tamburini in Bologna, it is displayed in decadent swirling mountains, like pristine white-capped peaks after a heavy snowfall. Fresh mascarpone barely lasts two or three days, but the packaged kind that is available in the States has a much longer shelf life and is fine when used in dishes such as this one and desserts. In this dish, where there is no cooking involved, prosciutto and mascarpone are simply mixed together and tossed with hot pasta, allowing their flavors to be the stars.

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces mascarpone (about ½ cup)
  • 1 egg yolk
  • ¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • Salt
  • 4 ounces prosciutto, sliced ⅛ inch thick
  • 1 pound spaghetti

Method

  1. Fill a pot for the pasta with about 6 quarts of water, place over high heat, and bring to a boil.
  2. Put the mascarpone in the bowl you’ll be serving the pasta in. Add the egg yolk, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and salt, and mix well. Cut the prosciutto into narrow strips about 1 inch long and mix it into the mascarpone.
  3. When the water for the pasta is boiling, add about 2 tablespoons salt, add the spaghetti, and stir until all the strands are submerged. Cook until al dente.
  4. When the pasta is about halfway done, put 2 tablespoons of the pasta water into the mascarpone mixture and mix it in well. When the pasta is done, drain it well, transfer to the serving bowl, toss vigorously with the sauce (I find it easiest to do this with a wooden spoon), and serve at once.

© 2009 Giuliano Hazan. All rights reserved.