We try to prepare one or two vegan or vegetarian meals a week. Penne with asparagus is one of our favorites. You could do this with any vegetable, really, but the shape of the cut asparagus mimics the shape of the penne and makes an attractive dish. The ingredients for tonight’s dinner are garlic, onion, asparagus, penne, and pasta water. That’s it. You can add Parmesan for a vegetarian dish or some sausage if you like.