Penne with Asaparagus, Pistachios, and Mint

There are some recipes that I know, even before I cook them, that I will blog them - I just get a cook's intuition about it....the combo of ingredients are so tasty looking and amazing, the whole dish is bound to be fabulous. That's how I felt when I ripped this recipe from this month's Cooking Light magazine....I just knew!!! And I was right, this pasta dish is good....very, very good!! And the bonus is it was fast....very, very fast!! It all just came together so quickly. Unless you have a nut allergy in the house, do not omit the pistachios- they are fantastic and give a beautiful crunch and smokey, salty flavor to the dish. YUM!!!

This recipe only made enough for myself and my husband, so, if you want to cook for your whole family, you will need to double it. ENJOY!!

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces uncooked whole-grain penne pasta
• 5 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 green onions, chopped, white and green parts divided
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 1.5 ounces pecorino Romano cheese, grated (about 1/3 cup)
• 1/4 cup chopped pistachios
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint***

<***I forgot to add the mint to my pasta dish and ate it without - it was delicious! I added it to my husband's and it, too, was delicious! All that to say, with or without the mint, the meal is good>

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Return pasta and 1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid to pan. Cover and keep warm over low heat.
2. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add asparagus; sauté 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Stir in white parts of green onions and garlic; cook 30 seconds. Add wine; cook 1 minute. Add asparagus mixture, salt, and pepper to pasta mixture. Stir in remaining 2 teaspoons oil, remaining green onions, butter, and cheese. Divide pasta evenly among 4 bowls. Sprinkle evenly with pistachios and mint.