A Little More Than Pasta Carbonara

- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt to taste, then add pasta.

– Chop onion into thin slices.

– Cut off ends of asparagus and discard. Cut each stalk into 1-inch pieces on a diagonal.

– Heat olive oil in large sauté pan over medium high heat.

– Add garlic and red pepper flakes to oil, cook until garlic begins to brown (less than one minute).

– Add onion to sauté pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes.

– Add shrimp or chicken (cut into 1-inch cubes) to pan and season with salt and pepper. Shrimp should only be cooked about 30 seconds per side (rule: until they turn pink). Chicken should cook about 2 minutes per side or until completely cooked through.

– Add sun dried tomatoes and asparagus and cook for 2-3 minutes.

– In a large bowl (and I do mean large) combine the pasta with the sautéed veggies and shrimp/chicken.

– Add the mascarpone cheese and mix to combine.

– Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and ground pepper and enjoy a taste of heaven!