5:01 Dinner Club

This is GFC! Good enough for company!

Serves 4 in about 25  minutes

•  6 Roma tomatoes
• 1 ½ lb. Asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 ½“pieces
• 4 Shallots, (or 1 medium sweet onion, chopped) quartered
• 4 Tbs Olive oil, divided
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 1-1   lb Box angel hair pasta (I like the whole grain), cooked in salted water according to package directions but not drained
• 1-4oz Package goat cheese, divided into 4 rounds
• 1 C Fresh basil leaves, washed and shredded just before serving

1. In a large bowl, mix 1^ST 3 ingredients with 2 Tbs olive oil and salt & pepper to taste
2. Heat a large, deep sauté pan (preferably nonstick) or pot over high heat
3. Add vegetables and stir periodically as the tomatoes break down and other veggies caramelize for about 10 minutes
4. Remove vegetables and then use about 1 C of the hot pasta water to “deglaze” the pan (pull up the brown bits that are stuck to the bottom) while stirring constantly
5. Return vegetables to pan, add 2 Tbs olive oil, and a little more pasta water if the sauce is too thick
6. Taste and add salt & pepper if you want
7. With tongs or a pasta spoon, pull hot pasta straight from water and put directly into serving bowl or plate, top with ¼ of the sauce, 1 slice of goat cheese, and ¼ of the shredded basil

You’ll want to let the goat cheese si out at room temp after it’s sliced.  Being room temp allows it to sort of become an important component of the sauce as everything mixes together on the plate.