Fettuccini with Asparagus and Ham

I always talk about my husband but I never have properly introduced him. His name is Brad and he hates vegetables. Anything green he calls "rabbit food" and picks aside on his plate. I can't sneak it in anything. Unless it's deep-fried and doused in grease there is no way he will eat it .. until now.

I found this recipe in my Better Homes cookbook that I got for the wedding. This is the third recipe I have made and without hesitation I can say that this book is not a disappointment. Fettuccini has always been one of my all-time favorite dishes, but I have never made it without alfredo sauce so I was very skeptical of this recipe. The one thing I did like was that I still had some asparagus leftover and didn't know what to do with it and this recipe also had only 6 ingredients. Absolutely love it!!!

I put the recipe as directed in the book below but I used my shredded cheese I already had that was half mozzarella and half pepper jack. The result was still great. I also have never understood when a recipe calls for cooked ham so what I did was slice up some deli ham and it was fine.

Fettuccini with Asparagus and Ham

8 ounces dry fettuccini, broken in half
1 pound fresh asparagus, ends cut off, 1-inch slices
1 tbsp canola oil (or cooking oil)
3 roma tomatoes, chopped (2 cups)
1/4 pound cooked ham, thin sliced and cubed (I used deli ham)
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese (or other preferred type)

Cook fettuccini noodles according to package directions, drain and keep warm. Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook and stir asparagus in hot oil about 4 minutes or until lightly browned/tender. Add tomatoes and ham. Cook for an additional 2 minutes until heated through. There will be a little sauce, which is fine. Add asparagus mixture to fettuccini and stir gently to combine. Mix in cheese and stir until completely melted. Serve warm.