Four Nights A Week

My sister Molly, a terrific cook, adapted this recipe from a Cooking Light offering (March 2010), and it is really a delicious and quick pasta meal that includes veggies. Always a good idea to add veg to pasta. For this iteration, we used Casarecce pasta, pasta that originated in Sicily.

Tossing the pasta in a lemon vinaigrette gives this pasta entree a fresh flavor. Making four good-sized servings, this is a great dish for weeknights, or any time really.

Molly’s Pasta with Asparagus, Pancetta and Pine Nuts

Adapted from Cooking Light (March 2010)

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. short pasta (like penne, fusilli)
• 1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1-1/2 inch pieces
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 3 TBSP pine nuts (can substitute walnuts)
• 2 oz. diced pancetta (can substitute bacon or jamon serrano)
• 2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
• 2 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup (1 oz.) crumbled or grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Method:

1. Preheat over to 400 degrees F.
2. While oven is heating up, cook pasta according to package directions. Add asparagus to pot during the last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain.
3. Sprinkle pasta mixture with garlic, return to pot and toss well.
4. Arrange nuts in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan. Bake at 400 degrees F for 3 minutes or until golden and fragrant, stirring occasionally. Be careful not to burn. Place nuts in a small bowl.
5. Increase oven temperature to 475 degrees F. Arrange pancetta on jelly-roll pan. Bake at 475 degree F for 6 minutes or until crisp.
6. Combine lemon juice, 2 TBSP olive oil, salt and pepper, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over pasta mixture, toss well to coat. Sprinkle with pine nuts, pancetta, and cheese.