SERVES
375g (12oz) fusilli tricolore 250g (8oz) asparagus tips, cut into 5cm (2in) lengths 3tbsp olive oil 2 garlic cloves, crushed 90g (3oz) chestnut mushrooms, sliced 500g ( 1lb) ripe cherry tomatoes, halved s 60g (2oz) sun-blushed or sun-dried tomatoes, each snipped into three salt and black pepper.
TO SERVE
30g (1oz) pine nuts, toasted a small handful of fresh basil leaves, shredded .
1- Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to packet instructions until just tender, adding the asparagus 2 minutes before the end of cooking. Drain the pasta and asparagus together and refresh under cold running water. Drain well.
2- Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the garlic and mushroom, and fry over a high heat for a couple of minutes. Add both kinds of tomatoes and continue to stir-fry over a high heat until they are just heated through. Season well.
3- Quickly toss the pasta and asparagus through the tomato mixture in the pan until everything is hot, then scatter over the pine nuts and basil. Serve at once.
Healthy Note
Tomatoes contain vitamins C and E. More importantly, they are also a rich source of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that can help protect the body from harmful free radical damage. Cherry tomatoes are also rich in antioxidants. All these ingredients make this recipe a perfect addition to a healthy diet.