Recipe: Penne with Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 8 oz penne pasta

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 ½ pounds thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

• Ground black pepper

• 2 cups (about 9 oz) cherry tomatoes

• 1 cup peas

• ½ cup low-sodium chicken stock/broth

• 1 cup grated parmesan

• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves (optional)

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the past and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8-10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving about ½ cup of the pasta water.

2. In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minutes. Add the asparagus, season with pepper and cook for 3 minutes until slightly soft. Add the cherry tomatoes and peas. Cook for 2 minutes. Poor the chicken stock into the pan and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook until the tomatoes start to burst and the stock is reduced by half, about 3 minutes.

3. Transfer the asparagus mixture to a large serving bowl. Add the cooked pasta and ½ the parmesan. Toss well, adding reserved pasta water, if needed to loosen the pasta.

4. Garnish with remaining parmesan and chopped basil.

Nutrition Information Per Serving: Calories 167, Fat 7.9g (saturated 1g; polyunsaturated 1g; monounsaturated 5g), Cholesterol 0.5mg, Sodium 23.5g, Carbohydrates 32.4g, Fiber 2.6g, Protein 6.1g