Asparagus, Mushrooms and Shallots in a Garlic Butter Sauce

I bet you guys were starting to wonder when I was going to get my ass back into the kitchen. Well, it just so happened this week was super hectic and it’s hard playing activities director to a newly formed cultural posse (the posse of culturality to be exact). But on Tuesday night, after a very, very busy day, I wanted something quick and something easy and light. My answer? Asparagus, of course!

This is definitely a part of my fast food series because it took all of 25 minutes to make. And part of that 25 minutes was because I was talking on the phone while chopping up the veggies. Even better, this recipe is so easy, even the Diva could do it (if she wasn’t still sniffing the floor in hopes of finding more frosting from the Opera cake).

1/2 pound asparagus, coarsely chopped

1/2 package baby portobello mushrooms (pre-sliced)

2 large shallots, minced

13 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoon olive oil

Very liberal grinding of black pepper

Salt

1/2 pound pasta of your choice (I used whole wheat spaghetti)

Grated pecorino romano

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it liberally and add the pasta. Cook, drain and set aside. Melt the butter in a saute pan, along with the olive oil. Add the garlic and pepper and allow to simmer for a few minutes. Toss in the shallots and cook until a little translucent and then add the asparagus and mushrooms. Cook only until the mushrooms start to get a bit tender, but the asparagus remains bright green and slightly crispy. Add the pasta and toss to coat it with the vegetables and sauce. Plate the pasta and top with the grated cheese!

While I plan on doing a bit out and about this weekend, I will be back in the kitchen on Sunday for a baking experiment and some healthy Spring cooking!