2 Easy Pasta Recipes (Part 1)

You know me. When Conservative Hubby is away, I love a big bowl of pasta. Nothing too heavy or hearty or meaty. Just light and easy.

And I also like to clean out the pantry while I'm at it, which is why the last two pasta recipes I tried on evenings when the hubs hit the links involved linguine.

This is the first. It's linguine with asparagus and pine nuts, from the April 2010 issue of Real Simple.


All you do is cook 12 ounces of pasta according to package directions, drain it, and return it to the pot.

Then heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup pine nuts and 4 cloves garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until golden (1 to 2 minutes). Add 2 pounds trimmed and cut asparagus and cook, tossing occasionally, until just tender (2 to 3 minutes).

Add the asparagus mixture to the pasta along with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss to combine and sprinkle with Parmesan just before serving.

Springy and tasty.

And a bit lighter than the cream sauce I'll share with you tomorrow ...