two skinny jenkins

Last week Carolyn bought two bunches of asparagus, we ate one as a side with chicken but had one bunch left. We’re racing a triathlon tomorrow, so we wanted something high in carbs but we needed to use the asparagus before it went bad. This pasta was the logical choice. I’ve made it before, and it is tasty and super quick.

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of asparagus
• 3 cloves of garlic – minced
• 1/2 box of pasta, we use angel hair
• 2 cans diced tomatoes – petite diced is the best
• olive oil
• dried basil

Get your pasta water boiling in one pot.  In a large skillet, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over med-high heat. Once hot, put the minced garlic and about a tablespoon of dried basil (fresh would be better if you have it) in the skillet. Cook the until the garlic is golden brown.  Once brown, turn the heat down a bit and pour in your cans of diced tomatoes. They have a lot of juice and will taste better if you let it cook down a bit, about 10 minutes.

Once your water is boiling, put in your pasta. You want to put the asparagus in with the pasta with about 4.5 minutes to go, so watch the timer. Cook the two together until the pasta is al dente and the asparagus is done, but not mushy. Drain in a collander and the pour into the skillet with the tomatoes and garlic. Mix well and serve with grated parmesean.