Asparagus-Fennel Pasta Salad

This is one of my personal new favorites. It is a warm salad (that has been a necessity for me all winter long) and quite healthy. Definitely worth branching out and giving it a try! (The picture was from online so it doesn't look quite the same... course, it never does look like the pictures, does it?)

45 min | 25 min prep | SERVES 14

1	lb fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 3/4 inch pieces
2	medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
1	small fennel bulb, sliced
2	tablespoons olive oil
8	ounces uncooked penne pasta
4	medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
12	pitted Greek olives, sliced
1	cup minced fresh parsley
Vinaigrette
1/4	cup olive oil
1/4	cup lemon juice
2	garlic cloves, minced
1/2	teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2	teaspoon salt
1/4	teaspoon pepper
1	cup crumbled feta cheese

1. Place asparagus, onions and fennel in a 15 x 10 x 1 inch baking pan. Drizzle with oil; toss to coat. Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and place in a large serving bowl. Add the tomatoes, olives, parsley and roasted vegetables. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper until blended. Drizzle over salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle with feta cheese.

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Ok, so I'll be honest. We didn't do it quite like that. First of all, what are fennel bulbs? We skipped that and just put garlic (so much flavor, it was delicious). And to save time I didn't use any dressing viniagarette or other and it was perfectly moist and flavorful without it. Tim just used Italian dressing. But we added the fetta to the salad. SUPER TASTY!!!