Pasta Fresca

I loved that this pasta came out tasting super fresh and light. We didn't add the asparagus tips this time, and Ry is not a fan of artichoke hearts, but we both agree that the recipe would benefit from a green  the next time we make it! Definitely nice to mix it up from red sauce and still avoid cream-based sauces (it's waaaay too hot here for that!).


Ingredients:
Penne pasta
1 box of cherry tomatoes (Maybe roast these for a few, too.... or grill... for a little extra flavor)
basil
asparagus tips or artichoke hearts
6 cloves garlic
olive oil
sea salt
oregano
red pepper flakes
Tomato Paste
white wine
Shaves of pecorino cheese

Directions

1. You can leave the peels on the garlic for this first step (cool, right?). Place the garlic cloves in a small pot and cover with water. Poach for about 15-20 minutes, at a slow boil.

2. Use a slotted spoon to scoop the garlic, and reserve the water. The peels will slip right off the cloves, and place them in a small bowl with a little bit of olive oil and sea salt. Mash into a paste.

3.Meanwhile, bring the pasta to a boil. Heat a large sauté pan, pour in a little olive oil, add the tomato paste and the garlic paste, and a splash of white wine. Cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant.

4. Raise heat and add in the cherry tomatoes. Cook quickly allowing to blister.

5. Turn down heat to medium and add in basil and asparagus tips. Pour in some of the water used to poach the garlic and cook off for a few minutes.

6. Once asparagus is bright green, after 2-3 minutes, add in the pasta. Season with the salt, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add in more pasta water if it starts to stick or doesn't seem saucy enough.

7. Since we had a little leftover pesto hanging in the fridge, we added a little dollop of that. But otherwise, garnish with fresh shaved pecorino and slivers of fresh basil.