Asparagus and tomato pasta

Ingredients

• Serves 4 (Recipe: Adapted from vegetables.co.nz)     
• 1 cup of dry pasta (2 cups cooked)                                                                    
• 1 Tbsp oil                                                                                                          
• 2 cups rocket or baby spinach (you could also use lettuce if you don’t have rocket or spinach)                                                                                             
• 4 small tomatoes                                                                                                
• 2 cups asparagus                      

Method

Cook pasta in boiling water until soft. Drain water from pasta.
Chop asparagus in to 3-4 cm pieces and then blanch or steam for 3-5 minutes. Asparagus should still be firm/crispy and not mushy.
Mix cooked pasta, oil and rocket (or salad alternative) together in a bowl.
Add chopped tomatoes (quartered) and asparagus and serve.

How to prepare asparagus for use:

Cut off tough ends before cooking, about 1 inch off thicker stalks. Asparagus in salads is often blanched or steamed, however, if the asparagus is fresh it can be used raw.
Fresh asparagus is ‘squeaky’ – when the spears are gently rubbed they squeak; old asparagus is rubbery and doesn’t squeak.