Penne with Roasted Asparagus & Balsamic Butter

 

I made this tonight...  And I can absolutely say this might be one of my new favorites!  It is SO good!  The roasted asparagus I really could have eaten by itself, it was so good and salty...  MMM!  And if you like balsamic vinegar, you'll like it even more. The only things I would have changed would to maybe not put quite as much salt (and I like salt), and put a LOT more asparagus in!  ;)

Time: About 30-40 min.

Enjoy!

Ingredients: 

1 pound asparagus 

1 tablespoon olive oil 

2 teaspoons salt 

1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper 

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 

1/2 teaspoon brown sugar 

1 pound penne 

1/4 pound butter, cut into pieces 

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving 

Directions:

Heat the oven to 400°. 

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.

Meanwhile, put the vinegar in a small saucepan. Simmer until 3 tablespoons remain. Stir in the brown sugar and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Remove from the heat.

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.