{Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter}

I love asparagus in the summer, and I’m always looking for different ways to use it in recipes. I found this, and it was really simple and had a lot of yummy flavor. It would be really good to add pine nuts or almonds to this dish as well.

1 pound asparagus

1 Tbs olive oil

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp brown sugar

1 pound penne pasta

1/4 pound butter, cut into pieces

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 400 degrees. 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 oil and 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 10 minutes.

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

Cook the penne in a large pot of boiling salted water until just done, about 11 minutes. Drain the pasta and toss with the butter, vinegar, asparagus, parmesan and remaining salt.

Recipe Source: Food & Wine