Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter

This balsamic butter roasted asparagus penne pasta is incredible! The flavors are intense and delicious, and it comes together fast!

Easily one of our favorite pasta dishes ever, this is a must-make every spring when asparagus is readily available!

Pasta + Balsamic + Butter + Asparagus

This pasta recipe includes four very important components:

• Balsamic vinegar reduced until thick and syrupy
• Butter (take this pasta to a whole new level by browning the butter first)
• Penne pasta cooked until al dente
• Roasted asparagus (don’t over do it here; roast the asparagus until crisp-tender but not mushy)

It may look like there’s a lot going on, but it is actually a very simple pasta dish. Get your multi-tasking apron on and roast the asparagus at the same time the pasta is cooking and the vinegar is reducing.

I promise it comes together fast!

Assembling the Balsamic Butter Pasta

Once all the components have been prepped:

1. Toss the butter with the cooked pasta
2. Add the syrupy balsamic mixture and toss until the pasta is evenly coated
3. Toss the pasta with the roasted asparagus
4. Add Parmesan cheese and give another good toss (and then throw a bit more Parm on top for good measure)

This balsamic butter roasted asparagus penne pasta is incredibly delicious served warm or at room temperature.

If you are looking to change up pasta night, this pasta dish is a must-make.

As the balsamic vinegar reduces, the tang of the vinegar mellows and the resulting sauce (when added with the butter) is lightly tangy, a little bit sweet, deliciously buttery, and it is perfect with the tender asparagus and pasta.

Parmesan cheese is always essential, in my world, but in this pasta dish, it is especially important. The salty punch of the cheese cuts through the rich and tasty balsamic pasta – so don’t skip it!

Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 40 minutes mins

4.88 stars (114 ratings)

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Ingredients

Roasted Asparagus:

• 1 ½ to 2 pounds fresh asparagus spears
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Balsamic Reduction:

• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon light or dark brown sugar (optional)
• Pinch of black pepper
• ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt

Pasta:

• 1 pound penne pasta
• 4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces (see note about browning the butter)
• ⅓ to ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

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Instructions 

• For the asparagus, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Snap the tough lower ends off the asparagus and discard them. Cut the asparagus spears into 1-inch pieces.
• Place the asparagus on a large, rimmed baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
• For the balsamic butter, add the vinegar to a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until the vinegar is reduced to about 3 tablespoons, about 5-10 minutes.
• Stir in the brown sugar, pepper and salt. Remove from the heat.
• For the pasta, cook the penne in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water until al dente (or desired tenderness). Drain the pasta and return to the pot.
• Add the butter (see note about browning the butter) and toss with the pasta until the butter is melted and the pasta is evenly coated.
• Add the vinegar reduction to the pasta. Toss to combine well. Add the asparagus and Parmesan; toss. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
• Serve warm or at room temperature with extra Parmesan cheese, for serving, if desired.

Notes

Asparagus: if asparagus isn’t in season (or you don’t like it), try broccoli or  cauliflower cut into bite-size pieces, and roast it per the recipe. 

Browned Butter: if you want to take this to a whole new level, brown the butter (quick and easy tutorial here) before adding it to the pasta.

Author: Mel

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Method: Bake, Stovetop

Serving: 1 Serving, Calories: 424kcal, Carbohydrates: 65g, Protein: 15g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 24mg, Sodium: 458mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 8g

Recommended Products

Cookware

8-Inch Chef’s Knife

Over-the-Sink Colander

Recipe Source: adapted from Food and Wine Quick From Scratch Pasta Cookbook
Recipe originally posted April 2011; updated with new pictures, recipe notes, and commentary. Updated again in April 2025 with new photos.

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