Friendly Dinner

Tonight was another night with beloved friends... Old friends came over for a lovely dinner! 

Even Vela had a friend over!

meet OBI!

What's on our menu: 

Wine (of course) 

Main course: Pasta with asparagus and balsamic sauce 

Dessert: Strawberries dipped in dark chocolate  

Unfortunately we were enjoying ourselves too much, catching up and chatting in the kitchen for me to take photos... :( However, I did get some shots of the final "dishes." 

INGREDIENTS

1 bushel of asparagus spears

2 tomatoes 

1 tablespoon olive oil

¾ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon light or dark brown sugar

1 package penne pasta

4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

DIRECTIONS

First heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut tough ends off the asparagus. Cut the asparagus spears into 1-inch pieces. Put the asparagus on baking sheet and cover with the oil and ¼ teaspoon of the salt and ¼ of the pepper. 

Roast until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.While the asparagus roasts, put the balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until the vinegar is reduced to about 3 tablespoons, about 5-10 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar and the remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper.

 Remove from the heat.Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until just done, 11-13 minutes. Drain the pasta and return to the pot. Stir in the butter and vinegar mixture. 

Toss to combine well. Add in the asparagus, tomatoes, and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. 

Serve immediately and enjoy!

**feel free to add parmesan cheese for additional topping**

& for dessert... 

break up some of your favorite chocolate and melt it!

Dip strawberries and set on plate

Leave in the fridge for later...