Monday, February 18, 2013

Tomato and Asparagus Carbonara

I first made this yummy, meatless dish last September...I picked the basil from my garden and we ate on the deck.  We loved it; the quick prep and the fresh and simple ingredients made for a perfect late summer dish that was light and yet filling. Since that fall evening, I have made it numerous times - pretty much every time that asparagus has gone on sale at our local grocery store. It has been a hit every time!

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1-1.5 lb diagonally cut trimmed asparagus
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 cup pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 large egg
  • 8 oz uncooked penne pasta
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Boil water for pasta; cook according to package directions.
  2. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add oil to pan; swirl to coat.  Add asparagus; saute for 3 1/2 minutes.  Add garlic; saute for 1 minute.  Add tomatoes; cook for 6 minutes or until tomatoes are tender.
  3. Combine cheese, salt, pepper, and egg in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk.  
  4. Drain pasta and toss immediately with egg mixture.  Add tomato mixture, tossing until sauce thickens.  Top served pasta with basil.


Difficulty: very easy
Time: 20 minutes
Source: Cooking Light, September 2012

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