Chapter 17: Completing the Meal: Vegetables and Side Dishes 259
✓ Add salt to the water when cooking pasta. Salt adds flavor to the pasta,
and if it’s not added to the water it’s almost impossible to make your
pasta flavorful after cooking. Use 1 teaspoon of salt for every gallon of
water used.
T Creamy Romano
Asparagus Pasta
Asparagus and Romano cheese are a perfect combination, and when they’re tossed in a
fresh lemon-cream sauce with a hint of tarragon, your taste buds will sing. We save you
some cooking time by cooking the pasta and asparagus together in the same pot.Stage: Regular foods
Preparation time: 10 minutesCooking time: 15 minutes
Yield: 6 servings (^3 ⁄ 4 cup each)2 ounces dry whole-wheat rigatoni pasta
2 cups asparagus pieces (peel and cut the top
half into^3 ⁄ 4 -inch pieces)(^3) ⁄ 4 cup fat-free half-and-half
2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
(^1) ⁄ 4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon lemon juice
(^1) ⁄ 2 cup fresh grated Romano cheese, divided
1 Cook pasta according to the package directions, adding the asparagus and stirring
occasionally for the last three minutes. Drain and return to the pot.
2 Meanwhile, whisk half-and-half, mustard, flour, and pepper in a medium bowl.
3 Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring
constantly, for 30 seconds. Whisk in the half-and-half mixture. Bring to a simmer, stirring
constantly, and cook until thickened, 2 minutes. Stir in tarragon and lemon juice.
4 Stir the cooked pasta and asparagus into the sauce and cook over medium-high heat,
stirring constantly, until the sauce is thick, creamy, and coats the pasta.
5 Stir^1 ⁄ 4 cup Romano cheese into the pasta until combined. Serve the pasta topped with
the remaining^1 ⁄ 4 cup Romano cheese.
Per serving: Calories 110 (From Fat 40); Fat 4g (Saturated 2g); Cholesterol 5mg; Sodium 200mg; Carbohydrate 13g
(Dietary Fiber 2g); Protein 6g; Sugar 3g.