Slow Sauteed Asparagus with Pancetta

By á-2053

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz. thinly sliced pancetta cut into strips to yield about 1/4 cup
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 small cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
• 2 - 3 tsp. unsalted butter
• 1 3/4 lb. medium to large asparagus (28 - 32 spears) woody ends snapped off, stems peeled, rinsed and drained
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Lemon wedges for serving

Preparation

Step 1

Put the pancetta and olive oil in a heavy skillet and set over medium heat. Cook the pancetta stirring frequently until light brown and slightly crisp about 10 minutes (don't let it fully crisp and harden. Remove from the heat and transfer the pancetta with a slotted spoon to drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Leave the fat in the pan.

Set the skillet back over medium heat and add the garlic and cook stirring continually until just starting to turn light gold, about 30 seconds. Transfer the garlic with the slotted spoon to drain with the pancetta. If less than 1 Tbs. fat remains in the pan, add enough oil to compensate. Melt the butter in the pan, add the asparagus and season with salt and pepper. Saute, stirring frequently, until the spears are light golden brown and tender (they won't brown evenly) with a slight edge of crispness, 20 - 30 minutes. Transfer spears to a serving platter, scatter the reserved pancetta and garlic over them and sere with the lemon wedges.