Spaghetti with Prosciutto and Mascarpone

Spaghetti with Prosciutto and Mascarpone

Pasta with Ham and Cheese? Surely I’ve lost my mind and mixed the contents of my lunchtime sandwich with some pasta and pretended to be a genius. Not quite. This is yet another example of the simplicity of Italian food. I like this dish as it reminds me of the Irish version of the classic carbonara. In Italy the carbonara is made with eggs, parmesan, pancetta and pepper while in Ireland we tend to destroy it with lashings of cream to create the blandest dish imaginable. If you kind of like the Irish version of the carbonara then give this one a try. The mascarpone and egg creates a luscious creamy sauce with lots of flavour while the prosciutto cuts through with it’s perfect blend of sweet and salty.

Serves 4

400g Spaghetti
250g Mascarpone Cheese
1 Egg Yolk
2 slices of Prosciutto di Parma (chopped)
pinch of Freshly Grated Nutmeg
Parmesan to serve
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Cook the Spaghetti in at least 4 litres of salted boiling water until al dente (usually about 1 minute less than packet instructions).

2. Meanwhile put the mascarpone and egg yolk into a large bowl and beat with a spoon or whisk for a couple of minutes. Grate in the nutmeg, season and add the prosciutto before mixing well.

3. When the spaghetti is almost cooked, add 4 tablespoons of the cooking water to the mascarpone sauce and mix well. Drain the Spaghetti, add to the bowl with the sauce and stir well to combine. Serve with a little grating of parmesan on top.