Seaside Pasta

I have a thing for small pasta shapes, little stars, tiny rings, bowties and so on. They all have very cute Italian names, but I never seem to remember them. Whenever I can get my partner to swing me over to the Italian Market I indulge in a few new shapes (and usually a tin or two of dolmades and a jar of hot eggplant while I'm at it). This time, I whipped up something light and briny, using the leftover tinned black olives and chopped tomatoes from last night's tacos. This dish makes me think of the sea.

Small pasta, about two servings worth- cook as directed
2 tbsp capers plus a splash of brine
2 tbsp sliced black olives
1/4 cup chopped tomato
2 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 a small onion, finely chopped
4 asperagus spears, trimmed and chopped into 2 cm bits
1/4 veggie boullion cube
1/4 tsp thyme
pinch red pepper flakes
black pepper
salt
the juice of 1/2 lemon
nb- this would go really well with some fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley, if you have some on hand

While cooking the pasta, cook the onions in a splash of olive oil until fragrent, then add the remaining ingredients, smashing the tomatoes with the back of a fork as you go. When the pasta is cooked, add it to the sauce with a ladle of the cooking water, and simmer just a few moments until the consistency looks right for eating. Drizzle some more olive oil on top, and serve with a wedge of lemon and a generous sprinkling of black pepper on top.