Heat the oven to 400°. Snap the tough ends off the
asparagus and discard them. Cut the spears into 1-
inch pieces. Put the asparagus on a baking sheet
and toss with the oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of the
salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 10
minutes.
Meanwhile, put the vinegar in a small saucepan.
Simmer until 3 tablespoons remain. Stir in the
brown sugar and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Remove from the heat.
Cook the penne in a large pot of boiling, salted
water until just done, about 13 minutes. Drain the
pasta and toss with the butter, vinegar,
asparagus, Parmesan, and the remaining 1 3/4
teaspoons salt. Serve with additional Parmesan.
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