Penne with Cherry Tomatoes, Asparagus, and Brie

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This recipe comes from Paula Lambert's book The Cheese, Glorious Cheese. View more recipes.

During the planning of this book my wonderful editor, Sydny Miner, and I were having a working luncheon in New York when she mentioned that one of her favorite recipes was pasta with tomatoes, asparagus, and Brie. I had never considered the combination, so I tried it and loved it. The flavors are fresh, bright, and clean. And the recipe is so very good with a crisp white wine such as Orvieto Secco, Sancerre, or a pinot grigio.

Serves 8

Ingredients

Directions

Remove the tough outer skin from the asparagus stalks, using a vegetable peeler. Cut off the asparagus tips and set aside. Cut the stalks into pieces about 1-1/2 inches in length. Cut the grape-size tomatoes in half horizontally, or if you are using regular cherry tomatoes, cut them into quarters.

Pour 1/4 cup of olive oil into a large skillet. Heat the oil over high heat, add the asparagus stalks, and sauté until crisp and al dente. Add the asparagus tips and stir briefly. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Fill a large serving bowl with hot water to heat it. Once heated, drain and dry the dish.

In the meantime, bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a large stockpot. Add the salt and then the penne. Stir to prevent the pasta from sticking together. Allow the pasta to boil until cooked al dente, according to package directions, about 10 minutes. Remove the stockpot from the heat and pour the pasta and water through a colander. Once the pasta is drained, shake the colander and then pour the pasta into the serving bowl. Drizzle the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil over the pasta, add the sautéed asparagus with its oil and the raw tomatoes, and toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the Brie and toss to distribute the cheese throughout the pasta. Be careful to keep the Brie pieces separated so that they do not clump together. The heat of the pasta will melt the cheese as it is distributed throughout the penne.

To serve, pour the pasta into the serving bowl, sprinkle the thyme over it, and serve immediately.