Photo: Leigh Loftus
Pasta might well be a go-to comfort food during the winter months, but we love variations on the stick-to-your-ribs staple during the times of the year that call for lighter fare.
Photo: Leigh Loftus
To keep your pasta from weighing you down, swap out heavier ingredients like braised meats an slow-cooked sauces for fresh seafood and farmer’s market bounty like asparagus, tomatoes, and backyard herbs.
To keep the ever-dependable pasta from becoming way too boring, way too quickly, use any combination of heirloom or cherry tomatoes and swap out asparagus for your favorite green, like sugar snap peas or even
Photo: Leigh Loftus
Summer Vegetable Pasta with Asparagus and Tomatoes
Author: Maris Callahan
Recipe type: Worknight Dinners, Cooking for a Crowd
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
- 12 ounces uncooked gemelli
- 1½ cups diagonally sliced asparagus
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons sliced garlic
- 2 oregano sprigs
- 2 thyme sprigs
- ½ cup low-sodium vegetable stock
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 3 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated and divided (about ¾ cup)
- 2 cups multicolored cherry tomatoes, halved
- ¼ cup small fresh basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions for 10 minutes, omitting salt and fat. Add asparagus; cook 2 minutes. Drain mixture over a bowl, reserving 1½ cups cooking liquid; rinse with cold water. Drain.
- Combine oil, garlic, oregano sprigs, and thyme sprigs in a large skillet over medium heat; cook 4 minutes or just until garlic begins to brown. Add reserved 1½ cups cooking liquid, salt, pepper and stock to pan; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to ¾ cup (about 10 minutes); discard herb sprigs.
- Stir in 2 ounces cheese; stir until cheese melts. Stir in pasta mixture. Stir in remaining 1 ounce cheese and tomatoes. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper, basil, oregano, and thyme leaves.
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