Golden Farmers Market Pasta Dish

That's right, The Golden Farmers Market is back every Saturday from 8-1 p.m. throughout the summer at 1010 Washington Ave., Golden, CO 80401 . On what felt like the only nice day this past week, I took my dog for a stroll along the creek in downtown Golden to find whatever fresh produce was available this time of year in Colorado. The first tent I noticed was Pappardelle's pasta. Right away I decided to make a pasta dish. I found some great looking large asparagus spears and some tomatoes that I slowly roast for this dish. I picked out some fresh herbs to go along with some garlic and parmesan I had at home. Sometimes you forget how great cooking freshly grown produce from the Colorado region can be. Follow this simple recipe for a fabulous lunch or dinner that's both easy to prepare and looks elegant on the plate.

SERVES 2

1/2 pound of yellow bell pepper pappardelle pasta

1 bunch of asparagus, cut in 1 inch pieces on a bias

2 medium sized tomatoes, slow roasted and large dice

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 T of olive oil

1 T each of thyme, tarragon, and chervil, chopped

1 thyme sprig

Freshly grated parmigiano reggiano

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

For the tomatoes: Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut tomatoes in half along their equator and toss with 1 T of olive oil, thyme sprig, and salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Place on a baking pan flesh side down a cook for 30 minutes. Take out of oven and when cool enough to handle take off the skins of the tomato. Turn oven down to 275 degrees and roast for 2 hours. Take off pan and large dice the tomatoes.

Get a saute pan large enough to hold the asparagus in a single layer nice and hot over high heat. Add 1 T olive oil and pan sear the asparagus until nearly cooked through. Add the garlic and turn off the heat (don't let garlic burn). Add a tablespoon of water if the garlic starts to turn brown.

Cook pasta till al dente while saving 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Add warm pasta along with 1/2 cup of pasta water to asparagus/garlic mixture and turn to medium heat. Add the diced tomato, fresh herbs, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss gently until warm throughout. Add to pasta bowls and top with parmigiano reggiano and a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy!

David Crane is a member of the American Personal and Private Chef Association (APPCA) and can be contacted at 303-619-6960 or @ thecookingcrane.com for more information. For informationabout membership in the APPCA, call 1-800-644-8389 or visitwww.personalchef.com.