Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Good Morning! What's for Dinner?

 
 
Pasta is one of my very favorite things!  I love the way you can toss just about anything with pasta and it's delicious...there are exceptions of course, and while I have never made a truly bad pasta dish, some recipes are definitely more successful than others!  The "Darn Good Pasta" dish was so good that I actually wrote the recipe down!   
 
 
MMMMM, creamy feta melds together with the sweet and tangy balsamic vinegar which plays off of the freshness of the asparagus and the flavor of the red onions which all circles back to the sweet burst of the tomatoes...Too much Food Network?  Then let me just say...SHAZAAM!
 
Ok, here we go:

 
Ingredients:
Fresh asparagus
grape tomatoes
1/2 red onion
3/4 box of Campanelle pasta (penne will work too, Noah chose the Campanelle, he said, "I know!  I will call this Flower pasta!"
2-3 tbsp Good Balsamic vinegar (Don't skimp here, quality of the vinegar affects the taste!)
3-4 tbsp Olive oil
1tsp kosher salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tbsp butter
2-3 garlic cloves
A Splash of white wine
 
Fill a pot with generously salted water.  While that is coming to a boil, heat the olive oil on medium heat.  Take the Garlic cloves and if you've ever watched Giada, you know how to get that "garlic armour" off.  Smash it with the flat side of your knife!  Now to chop the garlic...
 
If you don't have one of these nifty tools, you should get one, it takes all the time and annoyance out of chopping garlic! And the best part is...
 
 
The kids can help!!!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
So that was a long journey through the simple process of garlic chopping, now back to cooking!
 
Toss the garlic in the heated oil and stir for about a minute.
Isn't food pretty?! 
Slice your onion into long thin strips and cut the asparagus into bite sized pieces, toss both into the garlic and oil.  Stir for another minute or so.
Now add the balsamic vinegar and the salt and pepper and the best part...
The wine!
This is where you will add your 1/2 tbsp of butter, this will help smooth out all the flavors and really bring it all together, Do Not Skip This Step!
Now let that cook together on medium heat for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally. 
Cut the tomatoes in half and add them about a minute before your pasta is ready.
Drain the pasta and toss it in with everything else!
Toss in some feta and top it off with a little freshly grated Parmesan!
Ok, lets be serious...
And THAT is how it's done!
 



3 comments:

  1. So, where do I get that nifty garlic chopper tool?!!! (And, can I rent your nifty helpers when I try this?!!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bed Bath and Beyond is where I found mine, and you may absolutely borrow my helpers, they would love that!

      Delete
  2. I love the "Flower Pasta!" So this dish looks absolutely delicious! I want a big plate of it right now! YUM!

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