Goddess Food: Sexy Spring Pasta w/ Roast Asparagus and Tomatoes

Wow! I have got a lot of blogging to do to meet my deadline. All I can say is it's a good thing we've got a long weekend ahead of us, during which I have sworn off the outside world! Yep, freeway construction plus holiday traffic = not a happy time on the road. So, bring on the Warcraft, baking and blogging! Oh, plus I'm taking on way more than I can handle with some photography projects. Yikes!

Anyway, on to the food...


This pasta is amazing! I mean it! Heavenly!! I love it! I swoon over it! Karina is a genius! The first time I made it, I ate my way through the whole batch before realizing I had just eaten meatless meals 3 days in a row. Impressive!

It is aptly named, in my opinion. This meal is the epitome of sexiness!! You MUST try it! With a glass of wine, preferably :)

Sexy Spring Pasta with Roasted Asparagus-Tomato Sauce

(adapted from the Gluten Free Goddess recipe here)

1/2 of a 1-lb package of gluten free linguine or spaghetti
A fistfull of asparagus, trimmed and sliced
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 leek, sliced thin**
1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced fine
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 heaping tbsp capers
2 tbsp raisins (yep, raisins!)
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp dried basil
Pinch hot red pepper flakes (I used ground red pepper)
1-2 tbsp fresh Italian parsley, if desired (which I didn't use)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Move one of the racks up to the top spot in the oven.
Cook your pasta according to the directions on the package.
Mix remaining ingredients together on a baking sheet or roasting pan (I used a foil-lined baking sheet for easy cleanup). Toss with your fingers to incorporate the sauce and seasonings over the veggies. Spread evenly across the pan, and place in the oven. Let it cook for 5-10 minutes, checking every couple minutes. Don't let the asparagus overcook (it's best tender-crisp).
Remove pan from the oven. Gently toss together the cooked, drained pasta with the veggies in a large bowl.
Serve.

*Note: To make up for the lack of meat in this recipe, I sprinkled some chopped cashews on top of the pasta a few times. I think this would be AMAZING with pine nuts mixed in! It's on my grocery list for the next time I try the recipe.

**See this post for instructions on how to clean/prepare leeks. I had no idea!!

Karina says this makes 2 servings, but I managed to get 3-4 out of it. But, then again, it was just me eating it, with a side of GF french bread, so I may not be the best judge of portions.