spring pasta with asparagus & peas

I found this recipe in a “Meals for 4 under $10” flyer at Whole Foods. At the time of typing up the recipe, I haven’t actually tasted it yet, but it certainly looks and tastes appealing, so I’m trying to get ahead of the game. 🙂 Without further ado, the recipe:

spring pasta with asparagus & peas

2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (I used Seitenbacher, a veggie broth powder you add to boiling water)
2 shallots, sliced
1½ pounds (1 bunch) thick asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 c. frozen peas
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon crushed red chili pepper flakes
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
¼ c. balsamic vinegar
8 ounces gluten-free penne pasta (I used Tinkyada Joy – Trader Joe’s is an excellent alternative!)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over high heat. Add ½ cup broth to the pan; take care to avoid the hot steam (or sizzles!) that arise when the liquid hits the pan. Add shallots and sauté until golden and broth reduces, about 4 minutes, stirring often.

Add an additional ½ cup of broth and the asparagus, and cook for 3 minutes until slightly soft.

Add 1 cup of broth, the garlic, peas, grape tomatoes, basil, chili pepper flakes, white beans, sea salt and balsamic vinegar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. The sauce will thicken as the liquid reduces by about half and the beans release starches into it.

Add pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions. Drain pasta and add to asparagus and sauce mixture. Stir to combine and coat the pasta with the sauce.

Recipe by Mary Lattouf,
Associate Coordinator–Healthy Eating Program