Penne in Vodka Sauce with Roasted Asparagus

Every Monday night is girls night with my group of girlfriends. Each week we rotate apartments and try out new recipes while watching the bachelor, getting our 2 hours of gossip in and enjoying at least a few bottles of wine. We usually all come from working out so what’s better than loading up on the carbs with a delicious pasta dish. There’s not much to this recipe but it’s a good one for a quick and easy weeknight meal (and maybe lunch for the rest of the week, seriously).

Ingredients:

• 1 pound asparagus
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 pound whole wheat penne
• 1 jar vodka sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse asparagus and cut tough ends off. Coat with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until asparagus is slightly crisp. Cook pasta according to package. Heat vodka sauce in small sauce pan. Drain pasta and add vodka sauce. Cut asparagus into 1 inch pieces and add to pasta. Feel free to add a little Parmesan cheese!