Pasta with Asparagus and Mushrooms

Meatless Monday.....do those words make you think of a dinner that will leave you hungry and unsatisfied?  Well, forget that! This pasta dish is certainly hearty enough to satisfy anyone fortunate enough to have this on his/her dinner plate.

Now, for those of you who don't think a meal is complete without chicken, beef or seafood, you could add cooked shrimp or grilled strips of chicken breast to the pasta and it would be equally delicious.

Let me mention that though I prepared this dish with Milanese Gremolata Olive Oil, you could use Joe and Son's Tuscan Herb Olive Oil, or Garlic Olive Oil instead. 

The bonus to this recipe is that it's incredibly quick to prepare and has few ingredients.  Starting to sound better and better, isn't?

 

 

 

 

Pasta with Asparagus & Mushroom

Ingredients

1 pound pasta …I like Penne for this dish but any tube pasta would be fine
12-14 asparagus spears cut in 2” pieces (snap off the tough ends first)
2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms… wiped and dried
½ teaspoon dried basil
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 Tablespoons Joe and Son’s Milanese Gremolata Olive Oil
Grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste


Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Boil the pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of cooking water, and set aside.

In a large bowl, toss the asparagus, mushrooms, basil and garlic with the Olive Oil.
Line a baking pan with foil and place the vegetables in one layer and bake for 4- 5 minutes or until the asparagus pieces are bright green and fork tender.

In a large non stick pan add the pasta, vegetables and ¼ cup of pasta water, or more if needed. Toss over low heat to blend the ingredients.

Taste for seasonings and add some additional olive oil , if desired. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Serves 4