Penne with Grilled Asparagus

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound AuerPak® Brand asparagus, trimmed, cut spears into 1-inch pieces
1 pound penne pasta
¼ cup pine nuts
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
⅓ cup olive oil
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the penne pasta for 11 minutes. Drain the pasta and add the grilled asparagus. Toss with olive oil, pine nuts and parmesan. Serve with additional parmesan.


High Roast Asparagus with Fresh Tomato/Basil Sauce

Serves 4 to 6 as a side dish

Keep in mind that the thickness of the asparagus will affect roasting time. Use firm, ripe tomatoes.

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds AuerPak® Brand asparagus, rinsed and tough ends snapped off
3 tablespoons best quality olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 ½ cups seeded, cored and diced (1/2-inch size) tomatoes, about 3 medium
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

Heat the oven to 450 degrees and warm a serving plate in the oven as it heats up (remove when hot). Place the asparagus in a heavy-duty 10-to-12-inch skillet (12 inches preferred). Toss with one tablespoon olive oil and ¼ teaspoon salt. Roast in the oven until the asparagus is just tender, 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the stalks.

Turn the asparagus onto a warmed plate and cover to keep warm. Place the skillet over medium heat. Add one tablespoon olive oil and swirl pan to coat the bottom. Add the tomatoes and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes have heated through and softened slightly and started to exude juice, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in the lemon juice, basil or parsley, a few grinds of pepper, and remaining tablespoon olive oil. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if needed.


Asparagus “Chesapeake”

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 lb. AuerPak® Brand fresh white asparagus
1 sweet red pepper
1 sweet yellow pepper
3 teaspoons butter
1 sweet AuerPak® Brand onion
3 teaspoons flour
3 tablespoons white wine
½ cup milk

Directions

Wash and peel asparagus. Set aside. In a pan, lightly sauté peppers and onions in butter. Add a dash of salt and pepper if desired. In a small bowl, stir in ¼ cup hot water to flour. Stir into a sauté mixture. Add asparagus, cover, and steam 8-10 minutes. Stir in white wine. Gradually stir in milk. Allow to thicken. Serve.