Tomato And Asparagus "Carbonara"

This is a perfect “Meatless Monday” meal. Whether you choose to skip meat on Monday or any day during the week, this dish will have you wishing it could be a meatless night every day of the week! Each week, I meticulously plan out our dinners; I try to pick ones that are easy for the nights I know it’s possible I get stuck at work late. I pick meals that I am excited to make when I know I will definitely be home to make them!This dish was one I couldn’t wait to make. Tearing it out of the September 2012 Cooking Light magazine and keeping it on the fridge until a week came where I knew I’d make it home in time to make this dish! That doesn’t happen very often but when it does, the final results are almost better because of how much I am looking forward to eating it!

Another great positive to no meat dinners is the time – this was literally on the table in 30 minutes and John prepped most of it for me, which was a big help. I found the sauce to be slightly bland and upped the ingredients in our leftovers for lunch the next day, which really made the dish sing! I can’t wait to try this with peppers, squash, or mushrooms like the magazine suggests. Already thinking about variations? That’s a successful dish if I’ve ever heard one.

Tomato and Asparagus “Carbonara” (adapted from Cooking Light)
Serves: 4 (1 1/4 cups per serving)
1/2 box pasta of your choice
1 pound asparagus
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 white onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup grated Romano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

Prepare pasta according to package directions to al dente. Trim the ends of the asparagus and cut the asparagus into bite-sized pieces. Add olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add asparagus and saute for about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and onion, saute an additional 1-3 minutes, until fragrant. Add tomato halves. Cook for 6 minutes, until tomatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together cheese, salt, pepper, and egg until well-combined. Drain pasta and toss pasta immediately with egg mixture. Add tomato mixture, tossing until sauce thickens. Divide pasta evenly and sprinkle each serving evenly with basil. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts per Serving, based on 4 Servings, from Cooking Light:
Calories: 335
Fat: 8.7g
Protein: 14.7g
Carbohydrates: 50.6g
Fiber: 5.2g
Sodium: 447mg

Until the next time my oven is on…