Ravioli, Pancetta & Asparagus in Basil Cream Sauce

Heat a skillet on medium-high heat and cook pancetta until crisp. When done, move to a paper towel-lined plate and gently pat dry with another paper towel. Crumble with your hands and set aside.

In a small sauce pot, combine Neufchatel – vinegar and place on low heat. Let cheese melt and flavors simmer for about 5 minutes. Whisk every so often to ensure cheese is not sticking to bottom of pan. Taste and season with salt/pepper if needed.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. As this is heating, wash your asparagus. Trim off tough edges and then cut each spear into 3 – 4 pieces, depending on the size.

Cook ravioli according to package instructions. Blanch asparagus in the same water. Since my ravioli only took ~ 3 minutes to cook, I threw the asparagus in at the same time. You do not want to cook asparagus more than 3 – 4 minutes or it will actually start to cook instead of “blanch”, so time this step wisely and according to your ravioli.

Once ravioli is cooked and asparagus is blanched, drain in a large colander.

Return ravioli and asparagus to large pot and toss with sauce. Sprinkle with pancetta crumbs and top with additional basil, if desired.