Yes we are already putting you to the test to make sure you paid attention to Tuesday’s post! This is our first pasta recipe and you better be ready, because it is not your traditional red sauce and spaghetti. “But D&E, I’m only in college, I thought tomato sauce from a jar would be okay to make?” We only have one quip with tomato sauce from jars…or maybe two or three:
- Why pay the $4?
- You can easily make your own – with more nutritional value
- They just don’t taste good as homemade!
Okay we are done quipping for now. The point we are trying to make is that although you are in college, you can still make a fantastic meal instead of always buying one in a jar, or in a can, or in a box. But don’t worry, we’ll start you off easy with this more original pasta recipe.
Oh, and one more thing (promise it is not a quip) – don’t be afraid of asparagus! It really is delicious and easy to incorporate into a lot of recipes (hint: this won’t be the last time you see it on this blog!).
Asparagus and Tomato Pasta
If you haven’t tried asparagus yet, or you have and didn’t like it, this is the perfect recipe to try (or re-try) it! With so many flavors and textures you won’t even know it’s even there. AWKWARD DISCLAIMER: Asparagus can make your pee smell funny…just wanted to give you a heads up since we were confused when it happened to us.
- Servings – 3 to 4
- Prep time – 10 minutes
- Cook time – 10 to 12 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound of your favorite pasta
- 1 pound fresh asparagus stalks
- 1 can (15 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- 4 ounces of crumbled Gorgonzola or grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Protocol
1. Start the water for the pasta.
2. Rinse the asparagus under cool water and break off the bottom third of the stalk. If you bend the stalk, it will naturally break off where it needs to. Discard the bottom portion.
3. Cut the asparagus stalks into 1 inch pieces.
4. After the water is boiling and you’ve added a pinch of salt, add the pasta to the pot.
5. When there is 5 minutes left cooking the pasta, add the asparagus to the water. For example, we used fettuccine which has a cooking time of 12 minutes according to the box; so, we added the asparagus after 7 minutes of cooking.
6. Drain the pasta and asparagus after the allotted time and set aside. Do not rinse.
7. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large sauce pan. Add the diced onion and garlic and saute for 2 minutes.
8. Drain the can of tomatoes and add to the sauce pan as well as the basil and parsley. Heat for 1-2 minutes.
9. Add the asparagus and pasta and cheese to the pan and stir to get everything incorporated.
10. Enjoy!
Let us know how this recipe went and if you have any suggestions, leave them in the comments below!
-D&E
Cooking in College 
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