Asparagus Penne

Andi of Longmeadow Farm's Note:

Penne and delicious asparagus, highlighted with cherry (or grape) tomatoes. Plunk em' in, and just devour!

• Total Time: 15 mins
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 6 ounces penne pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 garlic clove , minced
• 1 lb thin asparagus , trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• ½ cup frozen peas (or fresh if you have)
• ½ cup vegetable stock
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaf

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
2. In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the asparagus, season with the salt and pepper, and cook for 3 minutes until slightly soft. Add the cherry tomatoes and peas. Cook for 2 minutes. Pour the stock into the pan and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook until the tomatoes start to burst and the stock is reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
3. Transfer the asparagus mixture to a large serving bowl. Add the cooked pasta and 1/2 of the Parmesan. Toss well, adding reserved pasta water, if needed, to loosen the pasta. Garnish with the remaining Parmesan and chopped basil.

Reviews

[Lalaloula]

Mmmm, Andi what a yummy, easy and quick to make recipe! It has all the goodness of spring packed into one bowl. The sweet bursting tomatoes combined with the nutty asparagus, roasted garlic, creamy cheese and aromatic basil make for a wonderful satisfying dish. It is so beautiful to look at, too. I used whole spelt pasta and gouda cheese instead of the parmesan, but other than that stuck to your recipe and it was perfect. THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing this wonderful recipe with us, hon! I will surely make it again! Made and reviewed for The Ingredient of The Month Tag Game in the Spanish Forum and Farm Cooking with YOU in the Photo Forum May 2010.

[Trisha Teabo]

Very good. Kept most of the basic recipe, but made a few changes. Also added in fresh spinach, sautéed some fresh basil with the garlic and asparagus (in addition to the basil used to garnish), and substituted vegetable stock for College Inn White Wine and Herb broth (about double the amount called for). Will definitely make this again!

[Realtor by day, Chef by night]

This is such a nice combination of flavors! We loved it. My daughter thought it was really great. I had to use frozen peas and asparagus because I haven't been able to find nice asparagus at the produce market. It was great anyway and easy to put together. Thanks Andi! I'll be making this again. Made for Holiday tag.