Pasta with green asparagus

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500 g pasta of your choice
• 500 g asparagus, green
• 100 g arugula
• 250 g cherry tomatoes
• 1 pack of feta cheese, approx. 250 g
• 1 class jar of dried tomatoes
• 1 onion(s), red
• 1 clove(s) garlic
• 1 shot of red wine
• 1 dash of olive oil
• some cream of balsamic vinegar
• some tomato paste
• 1 pinch(s) of sugar
• possibly basil
• possibly chili flakes
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 15 minutes; Total time approx. 35 minutes

simple, vegetarian, seasonal, Mediterranean

Halve the onion lengthwise and slice into thin rings. Peel the bottom third of the asparagus and trim off the woody end. Cut the stalks into pieces about 2 cm long. Dice the sun-dried tomatoes, reserving the oil from the jar. Halve or quarter the cherry tomatoes, depending on their size. Wash the arugula in a sieve and drain, then roughly chop it. Cook the pasta al dente in salted water. It should still have a bit of bite, as it will continue to cook in the pan later. Meanwhile, in a deep pan, sauté the onion rings with a little olive oil until golden brown. Then add the asparagus to the onions, sprinkle with a pinch of sugar, and let it caramelize slightly, swirling the pan only occasionally. After about 3 to 4 minutes, add the sun-dried tomato pieces and a little tomato paste. Press the garlic directly into the pan. Briefly increase the heat. Deglaze everything with a good splash of red wine. Drain the pasta through a sieve, but don’t let it drain; add it directly to the pan. It’s good if the pasta retains some liquid. Simply crumble the feta cheese over the pasta with your hands. If you like, you can tear a few basil leaves and mix them in. Season the dish with balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, chili flakes (if desired), and the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes, then add the cherry tomatoes. Stir well to ensure the melted feta cheese is evenly coated. Just before serving, add the arugula to prevent it from falling apart.