Pasta with Ham and Asparagus Recipe

This is a recipe I came up with to use up some of my leftover Easter ham.

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and halved
2 T butter
2 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
about 1 cup diced smoked ham
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used Chardonnay)
8 oz pasta, cooked according to package and 1/4 cup pasta water reserved (I used spaghetti)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Heat a large frying pan over medium low heat. Add butter and oil. When butter is melted, add garlic and saute for about a minute. Stir in ham and cook for about 5 minutes.

Add asparagus and pepper; cover and cook for about 10 minutes or til asparagus is crisp tender. With a slotted spoon remove garlic, ham and asparagus from pan; set aside to keep warm.

Increase heat to high and stir in wine. Cook til wine reduces a bit. Add ham mixture to wine reduction and heat through. If mixture appears dry, add reserved pasta water. Remove pan from heat and toss mixture with about 1/4 cup cheese.

I served the ham, asparagus and pan sauce over spaghetti and sprinkled with additional cheese, alongside a thick slice of cheesy Texas garlic toast.
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