Creamy Tomato & Asparagus Pasta
I love how pasta never lets you down! You really can play and do what you like with what you have to work with. Tomatoes and a veggie can go a long way and be just perfect on their own with pasta, but add some cream and you just kicked it up a notch on the comfort scale. If I feel like the majority of the dish is healthy with veggies and a whole wheat or high protein pasta, then adding a little cream feels like a nice treat for the dish. Feel free to swap ingredients out and play, because like I said, pasta won’t let you down! Chia seed pasta is packed with protein, fiber and has no fat. Chia pasta is one of my favorite alternatives for a plant-based and gluten-free pasta.
Ingredients:
250g penne Click here for Seeds Of Wellness Chia Penne
1lb asparagus
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
1 cup heavy cream,
1 clove of garlic, peeled and smashed
1 tsp chili flakes
½ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more
Big bunch of fresh basil leaves
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
Instructions:
Take out the cream so it can get closer to room temperature. Clean the tomatoes, slice in half then set aside. Clean the asparagus, trim off the hard ends, then cut into one inch pieces, set aside.
Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, all the tomatoes, the clove of garlic and chili flakes. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper, then stir to combine. Slightly cover and let simmer.
In the meantime, fill a saucepan with water and let it come to a boil for the pasta. Cook the pasta until al dente.
Stir the tomatoes occasionally, but as they are covered, they will begin to soften and create more juice in the pan. As you check on them to stir, you can push on them to crush them a little. Once most of them have softened, add the asparagus. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, drizzle another tablespoon of olive oil and stir to combine. Place the lid back on the pan to slightly cover and cook for about 1-2 minutes.
Remove the lid, lower the heat to low then stir in the cream. Combine and let simmer for another minute. The pasta should be al dente. Strain the pasta and transfer into the creamy tomato mixture. Toss until evenly coated. Turn off the heat, add ½ cup of parmesan cheese and tear a bunch of fresh basil leaves over the pasta. Continue to toss until creamy and combined.
Serve immediately, garnish with more parmesan and freshly ground black pepper.
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