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White serving dish with balsamic penne pasta, parmesan cheese and roasted asparagus.

Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

Roasted Asparagus:

  • 1 ½ to 2 pounds fresh asparagus spears
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Balsamic Reduction:

  • ½ cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon light or dark brown sugar (optional)
  • Pinch of black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt

Pasta:

  • 1 pound penne pasta
  • 4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces (see note about browning the butter)
  • ⅓ to ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions 

  • For the asparagus, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Snap the tough lower ends off the asparagus and discard them. Cut the asparagus spears into 1-inch pieces.
  • Place the asparagus on a large, rimmed baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
  • For the balsamic butter, add the vinegar to a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until the vinegar is reduced to about 3 tablespoons, about 5-10 minutes.
  • Stir in the brown sugar, pepper and salt. Remove from the heat.
  • For the pasta, cook the penne in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water until al dente (or desired tenderness). Drain the pasta and return to the pot.
  • Add the butter (see note about browning the butter) and toss with the pasta until the butter is melted and the pasta is evenly coated.
  • Add the vinegar reduction to the pasta. Toss to combine well. Add the asparagus and Parmesan; toss. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
  • Serve warm or at room temperature with extra Parmesan cheese, for serving, if desired.

Notes

Asparagus: if asparagus isn't in season (or you don't like it), try broccoli or  cauliflower cut into bite-size pieces, and roast it per the recipe. 
Browned Butter: if you want to take this to a whole new level, brown the butter (quick and easy tutorial here) before adding it to the pasta.