Penne With Caciotta, Asparagus and Prosciutto

Preheat the oven to 450F.

Place the asparagus stalks on a baking sheet and toss with 1 Tablespoon olive oil and salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Place in the oven and roast for 5 to 10 minutes, tossing once or twice until they are slightly browned and evenly roasted. Remove from oven to cool and then cut the asparagus into pieces about 1" in length and set aside.

Fill the serving dish with hot water to heat it. Once heated, drain and dry the dish.

In the meantime, bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a large stockpot. Add 1 Tablespoon salt and then the penne. Stir to prevent the pasta from sticking together. Allow the pasta to boil gently until cooked al dente, about 10 minutes. Remove the stockpot from the heat and pour the pasta and water into a colander that has been placed in the sink. Once drained, slightly shake the colander and then pour the pasta into the heated serving bowl. Drizzle the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil over the pasta, add the sauteed asparagus with its oil and the prosciutto and toss well. Add the Caciotta and toss quickly to distribute the cheese throughout the pasta. The heat of the pasta will melt the cheese as it is distributed throughout the pasta. Season to taste with salt