Cut the “guanciale” into small cubes, sauté them in a small, heavy-bottomed frying pan and then set aside. Remove the tougher, pale part of the asparagus, then wash them, pat them dry and cut them into pieces. Clean the shallot, chop it finely and sauté it in a heavy-bottomed frying pan with 3 spoonfuls of extra virgin olive oil. When it begins to turn golden brown, add the asparagus, stir, and season with salt and pepper. Turn up the heat and pour in the wine; when it has evaporated (it will take around 10 minutes), lower the heat again and check to see if the asparagus is cooked – if it’s “al dente” (= firm to the bite) you can turn the heat off. Now prepare the ricotta cream: press the ricotta through a sieve into a large bowl (big enough to contain the pasta as well), pour in the milk and whisk until you obtain a smooth “cream” (it shouldn’t be too thick, if necessary add more milk). Add the Asparagina, nutmeg, pieces of cooked asparagus, 2 spoonfuls of grated pecorino, salt and pepper, and stir thoroughly. Cook the penne in salted, boiling water and strain them when very “al dente” (only half of the cooking time indicated on the packet). Put them into the bowl with the cream of ricotta and asparagus, add the guanciale you set aside earlier, and stir carefully to amalgamate all the ingredients. Transfer the penne into an oven dish greased with 2 spoonfuls of olive oil, place the mint leaves on top and sprinkle with the remaining grated pecorino. Cook in a preheated oven, at 200 °C, for about 20 minutes – the last 5 of which in grill mode – until a nice golden crust has formed on the surface.