Asparagus and Tomato Pasta

It isn’t summer until I make my asparagus and tomato pasta. This is dish is one of my absolute favorites because it’s so easy, so light, and so delicious. It’s also so adaptable. Tonight’s version included homemade cheese ravioli and pancetta. Other nights I’ve used linguine and peas. Sometimes, when I want it to have a little bit more oomph to the experience, I top it with a few spoonfuls of goat cheese.

The only components that are a must: asparagus and oven roasted tomatoes.

This whole dish comes together in 30 minutes, even with the roasting of the tomatoes. And I am begging you: do not skip the tomato step. It makes the pasta what it is. Oven roasting the tomatoes concentrates their flavor, removes some of the sweetness of the tomatoes, and makes the whole dish 5x more delicious.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound linguine (or cheese ravioli or spaghetti or whatever you’re feeling)
• 10 thick asparagus stalks cut into thirds
• 4 tomatoes sliced into 1/2 inch slices
• 3 diced cloves of garlic
• 1 diced yellow onion
• 1 cup of vegetable stock (or wine if you’re feeling fancy)
• 1 tablespoon of dried oregano
• 1/4 cup of pine nuts
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups of baby spinach (optional)
• 1/4 pound of cubed pancetta (optional)
• Everything in your fridge (optional and not necessarily suggested)

Steps

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Arrange the tomato slices in one layer on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle on the oregano, and then add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Roast the tomatoes in the oven for 30 minutes.
4. Set some salted water to boil and then cook the pasta for one minute less than it says you should on the packet. Save one cup of pasta water when you’re draining it.
5. Meanwhile, in a deep saute pan, over medium-high heat, add olive oil and then saute the onion until translucent.
6. Add the asparagus. Saute for five minutes.
7. If you’re using the pancetta, throw that in there and keep sauteing for five minutes.
8. If you’re not using the pancetta, just keep sauteing for five more minutes.
9. Add the garlic and the pine nuts and saute them for a minute.
10. Deglaze the pan with the vegetable stock.
11. Add the cup of reserved pasta water to the pan.
12. Add the pasta to the pan.
13. Add the tomatoes to the pan.
14. Add the baby spinach to the pan if you’re using it.
15. Stir.
16. Let it all cook for a minute or two, until the pasta soaks up some of the sauce and tastes al dente.
17. Top with shredded parmesan and enjoy!