Spring Linguini with Prosciutto & Mushrooms

This husband-tested recipe comes from Alice’s Kitchen.
Serves 4

For those of us in Orange County, it’s morel mushroom time. My hubby and I, along with many other Hoosiers, count the days until spring when the morels poke through the winter leaves on the forest floor. Don’t fret! You don’t have to have morels to make this dish. This is a recipe in which you can use morels and/or other mushrooms of your choice. Lost River Market & Deli now has local morel mushrooms!! If you’ve only eaten batter or breaded fried morels, you are in for a treat when you give this recipe a try. Prosciutto is now available at Lost River & Deli. I’ve been waiting and waiting! Prosciutto [proh-SHOO-toh] is the Italian word for "ham." Prosciutto is ham that has been seasoned, salt-cured (but not smoked) and air-dried. It's usually sold in transparently thin slices. Prosciutto can be eaten as is and is a classic first course when served with melon or figs. It can also be added at the last minute to cooked foods such as pastas or vegetables. Now, if you don’t grow your own asparagus, you’ll find some in the produce section at Lost River Market & Deli as well. Soon, there will be locally grown asparagus! You can substitute sugar snap peas or even sliced yellow squash, if you wish. This recipe is pretty flexible. We now have locally grown fresh thyme leaves at the store.

1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
Several sprigs of fresh thyme leaves or 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 bunch fresh asparagus, sliced about 2 inches long (substitute about 1 cup of fresh sugar snap peas or 1 sliced yellow squash, if you like)
1 ½ cups or so, sliced mushrooms (I used a mixture of baby bellas & morels.)
2 oz. Prosciutto, chopped
8 oz. uncooked linguine
Kosher Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste (easy on the salt because Prosciutto & parmesan cheese are salty)
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice (or just a big squeeze of half a large lemon)
2 Tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup heavy cream, optional, but wonderful
(If you wish, you could even add 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts just before serving.)

Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt the water. Cook linguini according to the package directions.
Meanwhile, sauté the onions, garlic and thyme in the olive oil & butter in a large skillet over medium heat until the onion is tender. Add the asparagus, mushrooms and Prosciutto. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The asparagus should be bright green and crisp tender.
When pasta is done, drain and then add to the asparagus mixture. Add lemon juice, Parmesan cheese and cream. Season with salt (not too much) and pepper. Toss and heat on low for about 1 minute and then serve.
Serve this on its own or with a crisp salad and/or grilled fish or chicken for a special dinner.