Penne ala Saffi, with asparagus, ham, and cream

This is the pasta dish we make most often, which tells you how good it is. Also, how much Holt loves asparagus. He scrutinizes every bunch offered in Findlay Market, and picks the plump ones with fresh, tight tips and good green color; he won't pay more than $1.50 a pound for them - well, mostly he won't. When we get them home, we saw off the bottoms of the stems and put them in a plastic container with some water, as if they were flowers - which they sort of are. This keeps them fresh in the refrigerator if you have to store them for a few days.

Fortunately for us, Cincinnati is the source of one of the world's best hams: Schad's. It has a pure ham flavor, slightly smoky, dense but supple texture, in the German/Central European tradition. It ain't country, and it's not one of those jellified ham-and-water products you find in supermarkets. Also, Krause's in Findlay Market will sell you the end-knob as "first cut," at a lower price. So there's another reason to make Penne ala Saffi.

So, snap off the ends of your bunch of asparagus, and cut them on the bias into inch-long pieces, separating tips from stalks. Cut the ham into matchstick-sized strips. Grate a bunch of cheese, parmesan or pecorino romano.
Get the water boiling, but don't put the penne in yet. Instead, drop in the asparagus, stalk pieces first, and then after a couple of minutes, the tips. When they're almost as tender as you want them, fish them out with a sieve (it's not hard, they float), drain them in the colander, and throw them in a wide pan with a pat of butter. Now you can cook the penne in the slightly-green but still boiling water.
Heat up the pan and add enough heavy cream for as much pasta as you're making. Start it simmering and thickening, and put in as much cheese as you want. Toward the end, add the ham - it should heat, not cook. Season with salt and white pepper. When the penne are done, drain them and throw them in the pan, tossing it all about until the green, pink, and white are beautifully distributed. Serve and eat, with fervent thanks to Aurelio Saffi, Italian patriot