Pasta with Grilled Asparagus, Pine Nuts, and Olive Oil

From the book Cooking for the Week by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, and Kathleen Taggart

Introduction

This pasta dish is the perfect vehicle for leftover asparagus. You’ll have dinner made in the time it takes to boil water and cook the pasta.

Ingredients

Steps

1. Fill an 8- to 10-quart stockpot two-thirds full of water, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Heat a dry 8-inch skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, but not smoking, add the pine nuts and toast them, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Pour out onto a small plate to cool.
2. When the pasta water has reached a boil, add the 1 tablespoon salt. Add the pasta, stir, and cook until al dente (cooked through but still slightly chewy). Drain thoroughly in a colander, leaving about ¼ cup cooking water in the bottom of the stockpot to use in the sauce.
3. Return the pasta to the pot with the reserved cooking water. Add the pine nuts, asparagus, olive oil, parsley, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Toss well and divide among individual plates or bowls. Serve immediately, with the Parmesan alongside to be sprinkled on the pasta.

This content is from the book Cooking for the Week by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, and Kathleen Taggart.