How to Make Roasted Asparagus and Parmesan Penne

This is a delicious side dish or main dish for vegetarians. Roasting intensifies the delicate flavor of asparagus; it's best done with larger stems. Serves two as a main dish, four to six as a side dish.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 lb. penne pasta
• 1 bunch asparagus
• 1 1/2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 shallots - finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves - minced
• 1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp. finely chopped Italian parsley
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
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1. Put a pot of water on to boil.

2. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

3. 

   When the water is rolling, add 1 tsp. salt, then the penne. Cook until al dente.

4. Wash the asparagus in cool water, making sure to clean any residual soil and sand off the tips.

5. Cut about an inch off the bottom of each spear. Peel halfway up the bottoms of the stalks if they're thick.

6. 

   Cut the spears on the diagonal into 2-inch pieces.

7. Put the asparagus in a baking dish and drizzle a little olive oil over the top.

8. Place in the oven and roast for 3 to 5 minutes, uncovered, or until the asparagus is tender when pierced with a knife.

9. Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat.

10. 

    Add the shallot and sauté 2 minutes or until soft; add the garlic and sauté 1 more minute.

11. 

    Toss the asparagus; penne; oil, shallot and garlic mixture; cheese and parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Tips & Warnings

• Depending on how woody the stalks are, you may have to trim off more than an inch. You can try just breaking off the ends, as they'll usually break where the tender part of the stalk begins.
• You can use Romano, Asiago or Pecorino grating cheese in place of Parmesan. Just make sure that you grate it yourself.
• This dish would also be nice as a room-temperature salad.

Who Can Help:

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on 11/22/2005 Add boneless chicken breast to this dish. Cut the chicken into bite size pieces. Season the chicken (i.e. add garlic powder, onion powder, pepper). Cook the chicken in 2 tbsp of olive oil. Finally, add it to the roasted asparagus and Parmesan penne.