Penne With Asparagus Sauce
"This is one of my all-time favorites, and anyone who has ever tried it has heartily agreed. It is simple, it is delicious and perfect as a meatless meal. However, if you do feel the need to fill it out some more, the pancetta option works really great, too!"
photo by AZPARZYCH
- Ready In:
- 40mins
- Ingredients:
- 11
- Serves:
-
4
ingredients
- 453.59 g penne rigate
- 453.59 g asparagus, cooked
- 44.37 ml butter
- 59.16 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 113.39 g diced pancetta (optional)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 (822.13 g) can diced tomatoes
- 44.37 ml heavy cream
- 4.92 ml salt
- 2.46 ml pepper
- 59.14 ml parmesan cheese, grated
directions
- Put water on for pasta; salt when boiled. Cook pasta according to package directions, then drain.
- Meanwhile, cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces. Heat butter and olive oil over medium heat, add pancetta (if using) and saute for 3 minutes. Then, add garlic and asparagus pieces and saute for an additional 5-6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add tomatoes and their liquid. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, uncovered, slowly for about 15 minutes. Add Parmesan cheese and stir until well-combined.
- Add cream; cook and stir for about 3 minutes.
- Pour over cooked pasta and serve. Pass additional Parmesan cheese to taste.
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Reviews
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I was excited about trying this recipe, and I have to say that it greatly exceeded our expectations. The only change I had to make was using rigatoni instead of pasta (no penne on the store shelves!), but they're quite similarly shaped pastas, so I don't think it's a problem. This is such a great dish, and it's deceptively easy to make. My photo doesn't do it justice, but it's one of the best dishes I've made this year. The asparagus is well suited for this pasta sauce. Thank you for sharing your recipe, JackieOhNo. -
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I really enjoyed this dish! I made for 2 servings but probably 3 servings worth of asparagus since I had a little more than needed left. I liked how easy it was and blended well together; even 1yr old DD liked it! Made for Football Pool 2013-14 Win. -
Made this for lunch today and thought it was tasty. I might actually cut back on the tomatoes a little next time as I thought they overpowered the dish somewhat (e.g., I couldn't detect the 4 cloves of garlic I put in). I thought this dish was easy to prepare. Thanks! Made for ZWT4.
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
JackieOhNo!
Stormville, New York
I didn't start cooking until my early 20's, even though I come from a family of accomplished and admired home cooks. While I grew up watching my Italian grandmother in the kitchen, I remained uninterested in trying anything on my own. As a young lady, I was known for being particularly ignorant in the kitchen, with no idea how to even make a hot dog! All this changed, however, when I got engaged. I realized it was time to let my inherent talents out of the bag. At the time, the New York Times had a weekly column called The 60-Minute Gourmet by Pierre Franey. Each week, I would follow these recipes diligently, and taught myself to cook that way. From there, I began to read cookbooks and consult with relatives on family recipes. At my ripe old age now, I feel I know enough to put together a very pleasing meal and have become accomplished in my own right. Having an Irish father and an Italian mother, I'm glad I inherited the cooking gene (and the drinking one too!). One thing I have learned is that simpler is always better! I always believe cooking fills a need to nurture and show love. After being widowed fairly young and living alone with my dog and cats, I stopped cooking for awhile, since I really had no one to cook for. I made care packages for my grown son occasionally, and like to cook weekly for my boyfriend, so I feel like I am truly back in the saddle!!
