Pesto Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Roasted Asparagus

Got the idea here: http://damndelicious.net/2012/07/21/pesto-pasta-with-sun-dried-tomatoes-and-roasted/

Courtesy of: Damn Delicious

Made on: 8/21/14

INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounces medium shell pasta (I used a little more than this and went with whole wheat spaghetti, but you can adjust for how much you need)
• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed (I used canned asparagus)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (I didn’t need this much)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup basil pesto
• 1/3 cup julienned sun dried tomatoes, drained (The ones I bought were already dried)
• 1/3 cup diced mozzarella cubes (I used shredded mozzarella)
• Fried egg, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray. (I covered mine with foil, which made cleanup a breeze!)

2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.

3. Place asparagus in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, to taste; gently toss to combine. Place into oven and roast for 8-12 minutes, or until tender but crisp. Let cool before cutting into 1-inch pieces.

4. In a large bowl, combine pasta, asparagus, pesto, sun dried tomatoes and mozzarella.

5. Serve immediately with a fried egg, if desired.

Adjustments I made: I used whole wheat spaghetti because I had it on hand and the boys love spaghetti. I roasted my asparagus for more like 25-30 minutes because it was kind of mushy from being canned. I also flipped it halfway through. I added garlic powder to the salt and pepper sprinkled over the asparagus.

Adjustments I would like to make: This was pretty perfect. I could add other veggies, like broccoli or other greens. I could also play with the spices used when roasting the asparagus. Honestly, I would probably add more asparagus next time. I did cook my egg all the way through, just out of personal preference.

Overall Satisfaction: A total win! Not the healthiest meal I have ever made, but not that bad, and delicious for sure. Ellie loved the asparagus especially. It also worked well to give the boys plain spaghetti and save the pesto for the grownups. I wasn’t sure about the fried egg on top, but it was so good! I chopped it up and mixed it in with the rest, and it definitely added to the meal.

Would I Make it Again? Absolutely! I try not to make too many pasta dishes, so I will have to save up for this one ;-). Or maybe I’ll serve the pesto, asparagus, and sun-dried tomatoes over something else!

Pictured: Roasting the asparagus. Mine was not as crisp as fresh asparagus, but it was soooo yummy.

Pictured: Frying the egg in my adorable tiny egg pan!

Pictured: Everything but the egg

Pictured: The finished meal, complete with egg!