Thursday, June 5, 2008

#16 Alfredo Asparagus

I came up with this recipe while attempting to make a pesto dinner. I could not find the basil to make the pesto or a premade substitute so I opted for Alfredo sauce instead.

Ingredients:
1 lb asparagus, chopped into 1-2 inch pieces
1 med. onion, chopped
Butter or olive oil for sauting
1 pkg alfredo mix
shredded mozzarela (optional)
pasta

Directions:

Cook pasta (I used rigatoni).

Saute the onion over med-high heat until it just starts to brown on edges (adding some salt is supposed to help carmelized the onions). Add the asparagus. Cook until the asparagus is tender-crisp. About halfway through I added some pepper and a little more salt.

When there is only a few minutes left make the alfedo sauce. It is really easy. Melt 2 Tbls butter. Add 3/4 cup milk. Bring to a boil and add the alfredo mix. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes (or until it thickens). If you choose you can make your own alfredo sauce from scratch (Betty Crocker has a good one, I like the lower fat version) but I did not want to take the time or cost of the cheese.

Combine the sauce and the pasta. Put in a bowl and then place the Aparagus/Onions on top. Sprinkle with a little mozzarela and serve immediately.

**The next time I make this I will probably add fresh mushrooms.

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