This one is in honor of the Farmer’s Market opening tomorrow in Madison. It does run year-round but is outdoors from mid-April until late October. And it’s freaking awesome. One vegetable that will be sold since we’re in the throes of spring is asparagus. Yes, it makes your pee smell funny, but if you grill it and season with just a bit of salt and pepper, asparagus is one of the tastiest vegetables there is. And it’s very much in season across the country now. So here is a recipe I created to take advantage of in-season asparagus…enjoy!
Don’t believe everything you read about pasta being bad for you. Sure, the whole-wheat varieties are better for you, because they have more fiber and vitamins. But if you keep your portions reasonable, and add good stuff (i.e. vegetables) like in this recipe, there are far worse things you can eat. We like the kind of pasta that holds sauce for this dish, like a bow tie or the one we used, Barilla* Piccolini (mini fusilli). This is a great, hearty dish that you can either serve to a bunch of hungry guys or to your lady to impress her. Be sure to pair it with a good white wine and some crusty bread for bonus points.
Ingredients:
1 16 oz. package pasta (we used Barilla Piccolini)
½ bunch asparagus
2 tbsp. Olive oil, divided
4 oz. Sliced mushrooms
½ cup sliced black olives
4 tbsp. Light butter or margarine
¾ cup fat free half and half
2 Laughing Cow cheese wedges
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil to keep from sticking and set aside.
Drizzle remaining 1 tbsp olive oil on asparagus and grill on a preheated grill rack for 3-4 minutes, or until spears begin to lightly char. Cut into 2 inch pieces and set aside.
Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and sauté mushrooms over medium heat until they begin to soften and lose their water, about 4 minutes. Drain and add the mushrooms and black olives to the asparagus pieces.
Meanwhile, wipe out the skillet and return to stovetop. Melt butter over medium heat. Add half and half and cheese wedges. Stir constantly, breaking up the cheese with a wooden spoon. When mixture is melted, add Parmesan cheese and stir until just melted. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add pasta and vegetable mixture to sauce and combine. Heat through and serve. Makes 4-6 servings.
* If you’re not familiar with Barilla pasta, you owe it to yourself to give it a try. This is not a paid advertisement, but a true testimonial from someone who has been eating only Barilla pasta for the last few years. The regular pasta cooks nicely—even if you overcook it by a few minutes it’s never too soft or mushy. And the Whole Grain or Plus varieties are not grainy at all—rather, they are just slightly heartier than their regular pasta. It’s probably the best store brand you can eat short of homemade pasta.
