Words of wisdom, from a practicing Pastafarian.

I don't think there's anything in the world I like more than pasta. Well, maybe cheese, but I don't make my own cheese. Yet. Maybe if I had a farm... Anyway, I'm getting off track. Back to pasta. Mmmmmm, pasta. My issue with pasta is that I can eat 3 giant pots of it and not feel full. Or keep eating, and not realize I'm full until an hour later, when I have to undo a button and a zipper, and spark a few "How far along are you?" remarks.

But that's OK. Because the deliciousness (and cheapness) of pasta makes all of that worth it. Plus, it's a great way to use up leftovers...and all that bulk Costco stuff.

For today's recipe, I'm dipping into my Costco supply of roasted red peppers, asparagus, and grape tomatoes.

I'm showing you them again, because they're sexy.

Here goes...

---

Cellentani with Roasted Garlic, Asparagus, Grape Tomatoes, and Red Peppers

Makes 2 servings*
*Please note that my boyfriend and I are animals, so 2 servings equals about 6 servings in most cultures.

Ingredients

-1 box Barilla Cellentani pasta
-2 big handfuls of grape tomatoes
-5 stalks of asparagus, tough ends cut off
-1 large roasted pepper, sliced into thin strips (obviously, homemade roasted red peppers are better, but I have a big jar--see "Roasted Red Pepper Purée"--and I let nothing go to waste)
-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
-Olive oil (enough to coat your pan)
-Asiago cheese (Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino Romano work well too, but asiago is my favorite when available)
-Red pepper flakes
-Salt & Pepper, to taste

Steps

-Start boiling water for pasta, and set a pan coated with olive oil over medium high heat.
-Meanwhile, wash and chop asparagus into bite size pieces. Drop into the oil-coated pan, move pieces around to coat with the oil, and begin roasting.
-Wash and half grape tomatoes, set aside.
-As the asparagus becomes fork-tender and starts to brown, drop the sliced garlic into the pan. Stir constantly for 2-3 minutes to avoid burning.
-Your pasta water should be boiling by this point. Drop in the box of Cellentani, and cook for about 10-12 minutes.
-While the pasta cooks, stir the halved grape tomatoes into your pan, and mix until they start to burst and the skin starts to shrivel.
-Stir in the roasted red pepper strips, and mix until heated through. Season with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Remove pan from heat.

Dayummmmm! And, uh, you might want to step back while everything is roasting, because when you have a pathetically small kitchen like me, you WILL get scalded by flying hot oil. Trust.

-Drain pasta, and toss with pan mixture to coat.

Tip: As long as everyone likes cheese, add the shredded Asiago to the entire pot of Cellentani immediately, so that it melts and becomes stringy. Mmmmmm...

Mangia!