Packed with fiber, these springtime veggies help you lose weight. High-antioxidant content makes them cancer-resisting superfoods. If you aren't a vegetarian feel free to add some sauteed shrimp for a full fledged haute & healthy gourmet dinner.
Blanche asparagus pieces. Save the water you boiled the asparagus with to cook the penne.
1 lb asparagus
Cook penne according to package directions using asparagus water. (This will boost the nutrient value of the pasta.)
1 lb whole wheat penne
Set range to medium-high heat. In an extra large frying pan sauté asparagus, artichoke hearts and red onion in olive oil until onions begin to caramelize. If you don’t have an extra large frying pan, do this in batches.
½ lb artichoke hearts, 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 red onion
Deglaze pan with vegetable broth or your favorite white wine scraping all the brown bits from the pan. Deglazing simply means adding the vegetable broth to the hot pan and scraping the brown bits loose from the bottom with a spatula.
¼ cup vegetable broth
Next add 2 tablespoons of pesto and lightly sauté until pesto is evenly distributed.
2 oz Christine's Easy Pesto
Add pasta and grape tomatoes and lightly toss with a set of tongs.