Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter

I found this recipe on this website. It is so good! Absolutely love and enjoy this recipe. I recommend upping the amount of asparagus (because it tastes so good) to 1.5 - 2 lbs, but if you don't, it's still wonderful.

One thing. When I got to the step to reduce the vinegar I was so mad and thought, "You should've had me doing this at the beginning, it'll take so long to reduce it by that much!" Vinegar, for those that did not know, will reduce quickly. You can do it earlier, but it shouldn't slow you down too much in the order they direct.

This recipe fed three adults without sides and we all felt full. With sides, this should feed four to six people.

One last note. For my lactose intolerant friends, just remove the cheese. It's not a fundamental taste of the overall food. Leaving it out won't change it too much. Also, I'm guessing you probably have a substitute for butter/margarine. If not, then look for margarine labelled "pareve".

Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter

1 pound asparagus*
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoon(s) salt
1/2 teaspoon(s) fresh-ground black pepper
1/2 cup(s) plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon(s) brown sugar
1 pound(s) penne
1/4 pound(s) butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Directions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400° F and start your penne water boiling.

2. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard them.** Cut the spears into 1-inch pieces. Put the asparagus on a baking sheet and toss with the oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper.*** Roast until tender, about 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, put the vinegar in a small saucepan. Simmer until 3 tablespoons remain. Stir in the brown sugar and the remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper. Remove from the heat.

4. Cook the penne in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just done, about 13 minutes. Drain the pasta and toss with the butter, vinegar, asparagus, Parmesan, and the remaining 1 3/4 teaspoons salt.

Serve with additional Parmesan.

Variations:

Penne with Roasted Broccoli and Balsamic Butter: When asparagus is not in season, cut 1 pound of broccoli into small spears for roasting. Toss them with 2 tablespoons oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and roast for about 15 minutes.

Penne with Roasted Vegetables, Toasted Nuts, and Balsamic Butter: Toss in 1/3 cup of toasted pine nuts, hazelnuts, or walnuts at the end with either asparagus or broccoli.

Penne with Roasted Asparagus, Balsamic Butter, and Chicken: Just cut up some chicken (1 - 2 breasts) and cook it in salt, pepper, and a bit of olive oil. Blends very nicely.

* I love asparagus. I'd recommend upping the amount to 1.5 - 2 lbs.

**To snap off the hard ends, just break it where it naturally tends to break. Really, I looked it up in a couple of places. I tried it and it worked beautifully.

*** I put it into a bowl, tossed it around, then put it on a baking sheet. Worked quite nicely.