Asparagus is one of those vegetables that took me a good thirty years to learn to really appreciate, but now it’s one of my favourites, especially when roasted. Asparagus is a versatile veggie that can be served up in numerous ways; grilled, blanched, baked, pureed, and it is also a good source of Vitamin B6, Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc and more. Outdoor farmer’s markets are about to start popping up for the season here in Ontario, and I can’t wait to get my hands on some fresh from the farm asparagus and whip up some of these tasty dishes.
Fresh and Fabulous Frittata
Asparagus and eggs are a quintessential spring pairing. In this frittata recipe they come together with Gruyere cheese for a delicious and easy brunch, lunch or dinner dish . Added bonus: this basic recipe looks like it would be easy to add to if you have other cheeses, meats or vegetables in the fridge.
Asparagus and Crab Soup by Pham Fatale
White Asparagus and Crab Soup
Skip the traditional pureed asparagus soup and try this Vietnamese recipe for white asparagus and crab soup. White asparagus is milder in flavour and more tender than green asparagus, but if your regular grocery store doesn’t carry white asparagus (mine doesn’t) I’m sure you could substitute the green kind.
Grilled Asparagus and Red Onion Pizza by good life eats
Grilled Asparagus
I’ve come to discover that pretty much every vegetable gets better when you grill it, and asparagus is no exception. To make sure your asparagus doesn’t fall between the slats of your grill you can use a basket, or make a “raft” by threading spears of asparagus on wooden skewers (this works best with asparagus with thick stalks). Grilled asparagus can be eaten as-is or turned into a tasty pizza like this one.
Easy Roasted Asparagus and Lemon Pasta
This is one of my favourite spring recipes and it’s a breeze to make.
Ingredients
1 bunch of asparagus, washed, ends trimmed
½ cup of parmesan cheese
2 tbs of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
zest and juice of one lemon
1 box/pkg of your choice of pasta
coarse sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Preheat oven to 400F/200C
chop asparagus into roughly inch long pieces
Toss asparagus pieces with minced garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice and olive oil.
spread asparagus and mixture on a cookie sheet
roast in the oven for 10-12 minute until asparagus is tender. While the asparagus is in the oven prepare your pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta.
In a medium sized bowl or pot mix asparagus mixture and pasta together, add the parmesan cheese and toss quickly.
Serve immediately.
knitted asparagus by Anna Hrachovec via design for mankind
Last of all I thought you might like to see the cutest asparagus in the world. You can’t eat it, but it sure is adorable and it probably won’t make your pee smell funny.
