JoAnna Munafo, a resident of 4S Ranch, typically cooks her pasta with asparagus dish because it is quick and healthy.
Designed as a one-course meal, it is also good for potlucks dinners. “It will feed a lot of people. Plus, it can be used as either a main course or as a side dish. It tastes best warm, but also can be eaten cold,” said Munafo, who originally found the recipe in a magazine, but then altered it to fit her own taste. “Pasta is a staple in our house, so when we don’t have a meal planned – which seems frequently these days – I can always add some fresh ingredients to pasta.”
Munafo lives in the Salviati neighborhood with her husband Dominic. A mother of four children age 7 and under, she said the family truly enjoys living in the area: “My favorite thing about living in 92127 is that when I go out and about in the community, I always run into people I know – which is like the small town in Kansas I grew up in.”
Ingredients
8 oz Uncooked pasta (I use penne or bowtie)
1 lb Asparagus, trimmed & cut diagonally into 1 1/2 ” pieces
3 Tbsp Pine nuts toasted (or as much as you want for flavor)
2 oz Diced pancetta (I use turkey bacon and more of it for flavor)
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/4 tsp crumbled Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Directions
1. Cook pasta according to package directions, add asparagus to pot during last 3 min. of cooking. Drain all in colander.
2. Fry pancetta or turkey bacon until crisp and then chop or crumble. Mix in a bowl pasta, asparagus, pine nuts, cheese, and pancetta.
3. For dressing combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic and stir with a whisk.
4. Drizzle over pasta mixture, tossing well to coat. Sprinkle with more cheese to taste. Serves about 4 so I usually double the recipe and just make more dressing! Serve warm or its good room temperature as well.
