Pasta Puttanesca

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add the whole wheat fettuccine and cook until al dente, about 7 to 10 minutes. Reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water and then drain. Toss the fettuccine with 1 tsp olive oil to prevent from sticking.

Thinly slice 2 cloves garlic. Roughly chop the capers. Check the Kalamata olives for pits and then roughly chop. Trim 1 inch from the bottom of the asparagus, then chop the stalks into 2 inch long pieces. Halve the grape tomatoes. Drain the diced tomatoes.

Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the sliced garlic, chopped capers, chopped olives, oregano, and as much or as little of the crushed red pepper as you’d like. Cook until the garlic has softened slightly, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the diced tomatoes, reserved pasta water, and 1 tsp olive oil to the skillet. Cook until the liquid reduces, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the asparagus and grape tomatoes to the skillet. Cook until the asparagus is bright green and the tomatoes soften, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the cooked fettuccine to the puttanesca sauce. Using tongs, toss the pasta puttanesca in the skillet and simmer until the sauce thickens and coats the pasta, about 2 to 4 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the arugula and balsamic vinaigrette. Toss to combine. Divide the pasta puttanesca between large plates and sprinkle with parmesan. Serve alongside the arugula salad.