It’s time.

Farm markets are rolling out the first Jersey asparagus, signaling the beginning of the spring farm season.

I couldn’t wait to shop. I already had plans.

When I made whole wheat fettucine a few weeks ago, I was already imagining how it would taste with fresh asparagus, so I froze half of the pasta nests.

After I cleaned a bunch of asparagus well (south Jersey soil is sandy!) and removed the woody ends, I cut the spears and a red bell pepper into bite-sized pieces and placed them on a baking sheet coated with nonstick spray.

I drizzled the vegetables with olive oil and sprinkled them with a bit of salt and freshly ground black pepper, stirred them and roasted them in the oven for 15 minutes at 450 degrees. I stirred them again halfway through, removing them when crisp-tender.

While waiting for a large pot of water to boil for the pasta, I minced three cloves of garlic.

I heated 2 T. of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat, adding a couple of shakes of crushed red pepper and then the garlic.

When the garlic was warm and fragrant (about 1-2 minutes), I removed the pan from the heat. I added the roasted vegetables and returned the pan to the burner, allowing the flavors to meld, about 4-5 minutes.

Note: Although roasting the vegetables first adds an extra step, you don’t need as much oil as you would to sauté them. Next time I may blanch the vegetables slightly and sauté them, skipping the roasting step.

I removed the pan from the heat and added ¼ cup of shredded fresh basil.

Nothing says summer is coming like the aroma of fresh basil!

Returning the pan to the burner, I stirred 1/3 c. pasta water into the vegetables and added the drained pasta, which was still firm to the bite. I cooked the pasta until it was al dente and showered it with grated pecorino cheese.

A healthy, colorful dish that makes the most of the first flavors of spring!

Coming soon: Jersey strawberries!