Have you noticed?  In the produce department, we are starting to see the return of the spring vegetables!  Hip-hip-hooray!  Oh, don’t get me wrong…I love winter veggies, too!  If you have followed the Monday installment of the At Home w/ GCH blog for any length of time, you KNOW we are big fans of butternut squash, brussels sprouts, and other winter veggies.  But, it’s almost spring!  So here we go! For the next few weeks, we will do a mini-series featuring spring vegetables… starting today with asparagus!  Oh, yum!  Today’s recipe features asparagus in a pasta bake.  This recipe could also be prepared using lasagna noodles, if you prefer.

A question and a tip for our gluten-free friends: Have you tried the new pasta that RONZONI has recently brought to the market?  It is fantastic!  Truly the best gluten-free pasta we have tried (and we have tried m-a-n-y different brands).  It is a multi-grain blend of white rice, brown rice, corn, and quinoa.  It cooks up well, holds sauce well, bakes well, even reheats fairly well!  Now it is still pasta so, of course, it has carbs!  But a serving, according to the facts label on the box, has 2g of fiber (8% DV) and 4g of protein even. I highly recommend this product.

Asparagus Pasta Bake

Ingredients:

1 (12 ounce) box gluten free penne pasta
1 (15 ounce) jar alfredo sauce (I use ‘Classico’ brand; has no additives)
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
1 cup baby spinach, packed
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional 1/2 cup
1 medium onion, diced
1# asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons chopped garlic (I use jarred)
1 large egg
1 (15-ounce) container part skim ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups shredded part skim mozzarella cheese, divided

Directions:

• Pasta:  Cook pasta following directions on box. Drain and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350.
• Heat the Alfredo sauce and the chicken broth together. Set aside.
• In a food processor combine the sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and baby spinach. Pulse until the mixture is combined.
• In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the egg and then add in the ricotta, dried basil, 1 cup of shredded mozzarella, and freshly ground pepper.  Stir well; then add in the sun-dried tomato mixture.  Set aside.
• In a large saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion, and cook 4-5 minutes.
• Add in the cut up asparagus and cook ‘til still crisp-tender, another 5 minutes or so.
• And finally add in the chopped garlic and cook for 1 more minute, stirring constantly. Turn heat off.
• In a 9 by 13-inch baking dish, ladle about 1/2 cup of the heated alfredo sauce onto the bottom; spread to cover. Place 1/3 of the cooked pasta, then 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, 1/3 of the cooked veggies, and a sprinkling of shredded mozzarella. Repeat this in order for 2 additional layers.
• Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake until the ingredients are just starting to bubble and the cheeses are melting, about 25 minutes.
• Remove the foil and bump heat up to 425 and heat for 5 more minutes.
• Remove from oven and let set for 10 minutes; then serve with additional sauce and shredded parmesan alongside.  Enjoy!

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God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen