Recipe: Penne and Roasted Asparagus with Orange Gremolata

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Courtesy of Veg News.

 

March 21 marks the vernal equinox, otherwise known as the first day

of spring and for foodies everywhere, this day heralds a new bounty

of vegetables to liven up our mealtime repertoires. Seasonal

favorites include leeks, radishes and a VN staff favorite, asparagus.

In honor of this delicious member of the lily family, we offer you

Penne and Roasted Asparagus with Orange Gremolata from VN columnist

Robin Robertson's latest cookbook, Quick-Fix Vegetarian.

 

What you need

1 bunch thin asparagus, cut diagonally into 1-1/2 inch pieces

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

1 pound penne pasta

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Grated zest of 2 oranges

3 tablespoons minced scallions

Salt and freshly ground pepper

 

What you do

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange asparagus in a single layer

on a lightly oiled baking pan and drizzle with olive oil. Season with

salt and pepper. Roast until just tender, about 8 minutes.

2. While asparagus roasts, cook the penne in salted boiling water

until al dente, about 10 minutes.

3. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, parsley, orange zest and

scallions to create the gremolata. Set aside.

4. Once pasta is cooked, drain and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle

the gremolata and 1/4 cup olive oil onto the asparagus, stirring

gently to combine. Add the asparagus and gremolata-infused oil to the

pasta and toss gently. Serve immediately. Bon appetit!