Alright another restaurant recipe ripped off. This time I didn't have a friend working on the inside so I had to figure it out on my own. I used to work in the Sears Tower and there's a lunch place on Franklin called Sopraffina that had different pasta dishes each day of the week. They make it with chicken, but since I make it here at home, I've altered the recipe a little to make it vegetarian. I've substituted portobello mushrooms to give it a meatier taste and they work very well. If you want to go chicken, the restaurant uses bite-sized pieces of chicken breast which seem to be boiled. Grilled or roasted would probably be fine.

Ingredients:

1 or 2 bunches of fresh, preferably skinny asparagus, depending on how much you like asparagus
1 pack of sliced portobellos
1 2oz pkg of slivered almonds
EVOO
1 package of refrigerated basil-type pesto
1 cup of cream, half-n-half, or fat free half-n-half, depending on your cholestrol level [it's really best with cream, but still delicious with the fat-free stuff)
2 ripe tomatoes
Some fresh parsley
Parm-Reg or Romano Pecarino, whichever you prefer
1 lb. box of rotini

Salt for your tomatoes
Salt & Pepper to taste for the aspargus mixture.

My lovely ingredients (except for the Olive Oil...that's a given)


Start by getting your salted pasta water going, since it takes the longest. I use a very large Dutch oven filled close to the top. The pasta needs room.

Chop your asparagus into bite-sized pieces. I leave the rubber bands on so it doesn't flail all over the place. Throw out the bottoms.


Chop up your shrooms accordingly.


In a large skillet or wok, saute 1/2 the bag of almonds, the asparagus, and the shrooms in enough EVOO to coat the bottom. The mushrooms will absorb a lot of oil so you may need to add more.


While that's cooking, dice your tomatoes, chiffonade your parsley, and grate your cheese. I have epg do the grating for me because I'm a wuss.


Once your aspargus is tender and the mushrooms are a nice shiny dark brown you're ready to move to the sauce.


Add in the whole container of pesto and your choice of dairy.


Stir it up and it should look like this. Simmer so it thickens a bit.


Sweet God All Mercy our pasta's done! MAKE SURE IT'S AL DENTE. I cook it exactly 9 minutes.


Now mix in everything from the skillet with the pasta in your big ol' pot.


Top with parsley, tomatoes and cheese. Bon Appetite!