Roasted Asparagus and Tomato Sauce Pasta

From Judy Tsoukalas

1/2 1-lb. package of brown rice linguini or spaghetti
A fistful of thin, baby spring asparagus, trimmed short
4-6 ripe plum tomatoes, chopped [use grape tomatoes if they are more ripe and available]
1-2 jalapeño peppers, seeded, diced fine
4 good sized cloves of garlic, chopped
1 heaping tablespoon capers
2 tablespoons raisins (I prefer currants)
1/4 cup fruity extra virgin olive oil (or veg. oil?)
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Sea salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon dried basil- if you can find fresh- do it!
A good pinch of hot red pepper flakes, to taste
1-2 tablespoons fresh chopped Italian parsley

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bring a large pot of fresh salted water to a rolling boil. Meanwhile, throw all the sauce ingredients into a 10x13-inch [medium] roasting pan and stir to coat. Place the pan in the oven, near the top. Cook the pasta according to package directions, stirring every so often, until it is al dente. While the pasta is cooking, keep an eye on the sauce and stir it now and then. Do not overcook the asparagus - they are best tender-crisp. Drain the pasta and set aside. Pull the roasting pan out of the oven. Add the cooked pasta into the pan and toss gently to coat the strands with olive oil. Serves 2.