Penne with Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes

First off, I'd like to give a positive review of the Washington's Green Grocer fruit and vegetable delivery sevice we've been trying for a couple months.  We get the small organic box and it really suits our needs and saves us time.  If you're in the DC area and you generally try to shop local, you may consider reading about how it works.  It's not for everyone, but it's great for us so far.

So since we had organic asparagus and organic grape tomatoes to use, I did a google search and found this Giada De Laurentiis recipe.  It was so simple and easy!  We also served a roast chicken from the store and voila!  Dinner was delicious!

INGREDIENTS
8 ounces penne pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups (about 9 ounces) cherry tomatoes (I used one package of grape tomatoes)
1 cup shelled fresh peas (I used frozen and it was fine)
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the asparagus, season with the salt and pepper, and cook for 3 minutes until slightly soft. Add the cherry tomatoes and peas. Cook for 2 minutes. Pour the chicken stock into the pan and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook until the tomatoes start to burst and the stock is reduced by half, about 3 minutes.

Transfer the asparagus mixture to a large serving bowl. Add the cooked pasta and 1/2 of the Parmesan. Toss well, adding reserved pasta water, if needed, to loosen the pasta. Garnish with the remaining Parmesan and chopped basil.