Being in college is hard, we all know that. It’s especially hard when you don’t want to eat ramen noodles and microwavable mac ‘n cheese every night. Trying to find a healthy, delicious meal is easy when you go out to eat, but why not take initiative and make it in your own kitchen?

Cooking a meal not only gives you the pride of being able to accomplish a small goal with your own taste, but it also brings smiles and full bellies to those that eat it.

An easy, healthy and delicious meal to cook is Salmon Angel Hair Piccata with roasted asparagus. All you need is an oven and stove top for this one, and all of the ingredients can be found at Kroger.

TIP: Buying Kroger brand products saves money.

The recipe is made to serve two. 

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. of salmon – cut in half ( < $7.00)
• ½ box of angel hair pasta ($1.00)
• 1 bundle (approx. 1 lb.) asparagus ($3.99)
• 2 Lemons – 1 zested, and juiced; 1 sliced ($0.79 ea.)
• 2 cloves of minced garlic ($0.69 for a whole)
• 2 tbsp. of capers (3.5 oz.  = $1.99)
• 4 tbsp. butter (16 oz. = $2.99)
• 6 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (8.5 oz. = $2.69)
• Salt & pepper 

Cooking supplies:

• 3 quart pot
• Colander
• Skillet pan
• Baking sheet
• Sauce pan 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F
2. Using half, cook pasta according to box in 3-quart pot. Once pasta is done cooking, drain and set aside in serving dish.
3. Wash and cut off 1 inch of the ends of asparagus. Spread out on baking sheet, drizzle 2 tbsp. of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Cook in oven for 20-30 minutes while checking on them occasionally until they are crispy brown. Set aside when done.

While pasta and asparagus are cooking…

1. For piccata sauce, add 4 tbsp. of butter, one minced clove of garlic, 2 tbsp. of capers, 1 tbsp. of lemon zest, juice of half a lemon, and 2 tbsp. of olive oil into a sauce pan on low heat. Do not let this boil, let the butter melt and continuously stir the sauce so nothing burns or sticks to the pan. Do this for about 4 minutes, or until the butter has melted and there is some heat to the sauce. Turn off heat, and cover when finished.
2. In the skillet pan on medium-high heat, lay both halves of salmon, skin side down. Drizzle 2 tbsp. of olive oil, one clove of minced garlic, and other half of lemon juice on fish. Top with 2-3 slices of lemons as well. Cook salmon for 8-9 minutes, flipping them halfway through until the whole fish has an opaque light pink color (145˚F).
3. Dish out pasta and top with salmon on dinner plates, pour piccata sauce on top. Add asparagus to the side. Enjoy!