Bucatini al Prosciutto {Bucatini with Prosciutto}
Okay before the pasta police come after me, I didn’t actually use Bucatini when I made this recipe to photograph it, but that’s what is supposed to be used. I didn’t have any in my pantry & ever since my little specialty store closed, they’re extremely hard to find. So, I used Trenette pasta instead. It’s a fab pasta that has a little texture on the outside which helps this creamy-licious sauce stick to it! So if you can’t find any bucatini you can use any long type pasta you have on hand.
I’m still salivating over this dish. The sauce in this pasta is amazing. The way the butter and sage and browned ham come together. And then with the addition of the milk, cheese & pasta water. Insanely good.
A few things to remember, as with most pasta dishes, timing is OH SO important! Be sure to prep the cheese & ham ahead of time and WHILE the pasta is cooking work on the sauce. So that the sauce is ready when the pasta comes to the party! Have a little extra milk on hand if you need to thin out the mixture. You might also add some cream if you prefer vs. the milk to make it even more luscious. I think I even might try using some Prosciutto next time instead of the cubed ham just to shake things up a bit.
Remember to have your table set & forks ready because this is a dish that needs to be enjoyed immediately!
What you’ll need:
1 lb box of Bucatini Pasta
1/2 cub of Ham - Cubed
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup - 1/2 cup of Pecorino Cheese - Grated
2 Sage leaves - minced
2 tbsp milk
2 tbsp of Unsalted Butter
s/p
What to do:
Cut the ham into small bite sized cubes & set aside. Grate the cheese & set aside. In a large pasta pot, add enough water to cook pasta & season well with salt, add 1 tbsp of oil. When water boils, add the pasta, stir & cook until ONLY al dente. WHILE pasta is cooking, add the butter and sage into a sautee pan, over medium-high heat, when the butter is melted add the ham & cook until brown. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water before draining. When pasta is al dente, drain & add pasta to saute pan. Add 2 tbsp of milk & 2 tbsp of the pasta water & stir together well with wooden spoon. Let cook for a few mins over medium heat, stirring frequently. Turn off heat, season with pepper & add cheese. If mixture is too thick, you can add a little milk or pasta water to thin out. Mix together well & serve immediately.
Buon Appetito!
If you liked this you might also try:
Spaghetti alla Carbonara
If you liked this post, I’d certainly appreciate a little share lovin! We’ve made it super easy for ya! The buttons are right below! How ’bout that!
I will tell you with proscuitto this dish rocks! I do something very similar. Although now you just gave me an idea for the billion pounds of smoked ham I have in the freezer and zero use.
Love quick pastas like this and you are making the last 30 minutes before I leave for lunch really flipping difficult.
LOL Jeff! So glad I could make things easier for ya
I love this sauce. Anything with butter, cheese, Prosciutto, Sage & milk can’t be bad ! I might even throw some fresh mushrooms in next time round as well! It’s def a stick to your ribs kinda dish! Can’t wait to see what you do with your smoked ham! Enjoy your lunch!
This would definitely be a hit at our house. Yum.
Thanks Alta! My family ia a noodle loving family too! Of course, I don’t get them the choice not to be LOL!
Looks like a great weeknight meal that just might be kid-approved to boot - delish!
The way a food writer does a carbonara speaks volumes about her. After reading your take on the pasta classic par excellence, I have complete faith in you. Nice one!
BTW, I am referring to your actual carbonare-recipe. Not the one above.
Thanks bunhches Cate! It’s def kid approved in my house!
Wow! What an incredible compliment. Thanks so much Jytte! A good Carbonara just speaks to your soul!
Ohmigosh, I haven’t read through the whole thing yet, but I can already tell I am going to LOVE your blog!
Thanks so much Jessica! So glad you stopped by!
I love pasta - look forward to trying this! Have you ever made homemade pasta Paula?
Thanks so much Robyn! Yes, I adore homemade pasta! It’s quite a treat when we do make it. Here’s the link to my recipe for homemade pasta : http://www.bellalimento.com/2009/06/08/homemade-pasta-pasta-fatto-in-casa
I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious and oh so easy to make. This was also the first time I’ve ever used fresh herbs to cook and, I have to say, I was not prepared for the smell of the sage. Oh. My. Gosh. Yum! This is definitely going into the rotation.
Mwah! Thanks Dani! So glad you loved it & VERY happy to hear you’re diving into fresh herbs! I’m a HUGE Sage fan these days! You should try the Pollo al Rhum it’s got Sage in there too
Beautiful flavor.
Just came here from Tasty Kitchen. I like your style of writing and your pictures are awesome!!! Will definitely be back lots!
Thanks so much Kay! I really appreciate you stopping by! I have lots of fun cooking & taking pics!
I love anything with prosciutto! Love this dish!
Thanks Jen! Prosciutto does make everything better
I could def usea Prosciutto sponsor! If you’re out there listening email me at paula@bellalimento.com let’s talk 
Thanks Jen! I’m a newbie to this site, and stumbled across this recipe. I made it for Sunday’s dinner with prosciutto ends and was it ever HEAVENLY! My teenage son loved it. I only had skim milk, but it still turned out amazing.
Sorry, dork moment. That should read ‘Thanks Paula”, but thanks Jen too!
Ah thanks so much Lynn! So glad that you loved it! I ALWAYS love to hear back on how things went! : )