Asparagus...it's awesome because it makes your pee smell funny.

May 24, 2008 1:38 PM

Share your favorite asparagus recipes! I love it grilled and roasted, but I eat it like this all the time. What are some new ways to prepare one of my favorite veggies?

I love asparagus and eat it at least 1-2x per week, especially when it is in season. Since it was a late spring here in the Midwest, I scored some gorgeous purple (and some green) asparagus at the farmer's market this morning. I'd like to branch out from my grilling/roasting rut and try some new preparations -- I'm especially interested in ways to use the woody ends in soups/stews/whatever.

posted by sararah to Food & Drink (29 answers total)

Sauteed simply with lemon juice and walnut oil, a dash of red pepper flakes, and 1 lb. bay scallops. Toss with linguine.

Oven roasted with extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper. Then tossed with a splash of balsamic vinegar, and roasted until all moisture is gone. Toss again with some parmesan cheese.

Wrapped in pancetta a la Mario Batali. More from Serious Eats.

With a poached egg and miso butter.

Beer-battered asparagus.
posted by kathryn at 1:55 PM on May 24, 2008 [2 favorites]

This is one of my favorite pasta dishes to make -- I have to hold back from making this all the time: Cook pasta (I use bowties). Saute garlic, dried oregano, and dried spearmint in olive oil for a couple minutes. Add vegetables to the saute pan: first asparagus, then artichokes and dried tomatoes after a few minutes. (I always keep bulk dried tomatoes around and soak them in hot water before cooking with them.) You can use a little white wine along the way. When the pasta is done, stir it into the saute mix, and top with fresh chopped parsley, salt & pepper, and your choice of parmesan and/or feta cheese.

I often add asparagus to egg dishes when I want to make them more interesting: omelets, frittatas, or mixed into scrambled eggs.
posted by Jaltcoh at 2:14 PM on May 24, 2008 [1 favorite]

For two people: Sautee 1 pound green asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces, in a little bit of oil. When it starts to brown, add a little less than a cup of cream. When the asparagus is almost done, add pepper and smoked salmon, maybe half a pound. Add pepper to taste (salt is not necessary becaus the smoked salmon is quite salty.) Meanwhile, cook pasta. Toss sauce with pasta and serve!
posted by amf at 2:28 PM on May 24, 2008

I like asparagus steamed then served with a light coating of olive oil or butter, a dash of sea-salt and a squeeze of lemon/lime.

I also like to take a bunch of raw heads and toss 'em into a steaming hot bowl of udon. Puts a little cook on the asparagus and retains the nutrients in the broth.
posted by Matt Oneiros at 2:56 PM on May 24, 2008

This Savory Asparagus Bread Pudding has replaced traditional stuffing for my family's holiday meals. It stands alone really nicely as a main course, too (especially with some kind of pig tossed in there).
posted by padraigin at 3:24 PM on May 24, 2008

One more Truffled Egg Toast with Asparagus.
posted by kathryn at 3:51 PM on May 24, 2008

I was skeptical of Mark Bittman's Asparagus and Egg Pasta recipe but it was delicious. It's also VERY fast and easy to make, I highly recommend it.
posted by bradbane at 4:53 PM on May 24, 2008 [1 favorite]

Shaved Asparagus Salad is a good side dish- really simple to make, delicious and looks pretty on a plate. I got the recipe originally from Cooking Light in their July 2007 issue, and typed it up (may have paraphrased in places). Here it is:

1 lb large asparagus spears, trimmed
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (2 oz) crumbled goat cheese

Hold each asparagus spear by the tip end. Shave asparagus into ribbons with a vegetable peeler to measure 3 cups. Combine asparagus and tomatoes in a medium bowl.
Combine chives and next 6 ingredients (through 1/4 tsp of salt), stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over the asparagus mixture, tossing gently to coat. Top with goat cheese.

Yields 8 servings of 1/2 cup.
posted by cheerwine at 5:16 PM on May 24, 2008 [1 favorite]

Asparagus and crab meat is a classic combo.
posted by fixedgear at 5:21 PM on May 24, 2008

Asparagus Pesto!

Lightly boil about half a pound of asparagus and drain. Cut the tips off and reserve them.

Blend the asparagus with half a cup of toasted cashews, a handful if baby spinach leaves, some Parmesan cheese, lemon juice and olive oil. Season. Toss through pasta with the tips and a dollop of cream.
posted by the duck by the oboe at 5:30 PM on May 24, 2008 [2 favorites]

Easy Asparagus Pesto Pasta

- Boil water
- add pasta
- clean asparagus then cut into about 21/2" pieces
- add to boiling pasta last 5 mins of cooking
- drain and toss with prepared pesto

so very easy and delicious - it's the best when you come home from work and are hungry but don't feel like cooking.
posted by mkim at 5:35 PM on May 24, 2008 [1 favorite]

Best asparagus ever -

Snap off the tough ends.
Lie spears flat on a shallow baking pan. Not a cookie sheet, but a jelly roll pan.
Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Sprinkle coarse salt and pepper.

Roast in a 425 degree oven for about 10 minutes or put the pan on the grill depending on the diameter of the spears.

So simple, but soooo good. Mr 26.2 devour this whenever we make it.
posted by 26.2 at 5:47 PM on May 24, 2008 [1 favorite]

This is very good: asparagus stir-fried with cashews, ginger, and soy sauce. People have asked for the recipe every time I've made it—in one case, a friend-of-a-friend actually tracked me down to get it. Even my dad likes it, and he didn't like asparagus before he tried this. It's really easy, too.
posted by greenie2600 at 5:55 PM on May 24, 2008 [1 favorite]

Grilled asparagus with manchego and sherry vinegar


Asparagus with smoked trout, basil and anchovy sauce


Asparagus with Lancashire cheese


Via Nigel Slater
posted by brautigan at 5:55 PM on May 24, 2008

Wok-Seared Chicken Tenders with Asparagus & Pistachios

Ravioli Pasta Salad
posted by xsquared-1 at 6:30 PM on May 24, 2008

I adapted this recipe for asparagus vinaigrette from Sarah Leah Chase's Cold Weather Cooking. I make it all the time to accompany something off the grill, and I've gotten many compliments from guests. It's great for entertaining because it doesn't require last-minute prep. Leftovers tend to be swimming in dressing, but if you drain and chop it's good with scrambled eggs.

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small clove garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
about 1/2 to 1 cup diced plum tomato or grape or cherry tomatoes, halved and salted
salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
Parmesan cheese

Whisk the vinegar, lemon juice, and mustard together in a small bowl. Add the garlic. Gradually whisk in the olive oil, then add the tomato. Season to taste and let rest at room temperature at least half an hour.

Blanch, steam, or microwave the asparagus until crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain. Arrange hot asparagus on a serving platter and pour the vinaigrette over all. Use a microplane grater to shred Parmesan over the top, as much as you like. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
posted by libraryhead at 6:33 PM on May 24, 2008

Response by poster: Wow so many great recipes to try! A certain person will find this hilarious considering I suggest asparagus as a side or ingredient for just about every dinner of late. :)
posted by sararah at 8:41 PM on May 24, 2008

Peel the bottom third of the stems.
Stand up in Mom's tall, old stainless steel coffee pot (with lid) in a few inches of boiling water to steam five minutes max.
Rinse immediately in cold (ice) water to stop cooking. Pat dry.
Wrap with strips of chilled Italian prosciutto (forget the North American stuff).
Top with grated Reggiano parmesan.
Or cut long slivers of parmesan and wrap prosciutto around the cheese/asparagus combo.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 11:53 PM on May 24, 2008

i had a pretty good asparagus dish at a restaurant, this week. it was just grilled asparagus in a crepe with some ricotta, topped with a balsamic fig vinaigrette (super easy, 1 cup figs, two cups balsamic, boil until reduced by half and puree) and baked.
posted by wreckingball at 2:51 AM on May 25, 2008

My favourite: steamed asparagus with home made hollandaise sauce.
posted by ruelle at 8:40 AM on May 25, 2008 [1 favorite]

Just got back from a trip to Austria, where fantastic cream of asparagus soup seemed to be on the menu in every restaurant. Never made it myself, but I'm a new fan.
posted by lindsey.nicole at 2:20 PM on May 25, 2008

Asparagus+bacon=Asuparabutamaki
I won't translate the recipe, you get the idea.
posted by SageLeVoid at 7:40 PM on May 25, 2008

You don't have to cook asparagus at all - and in fact the purple asparagus will lose its color if you do. Just chop the tender parts and make a great salad with them!
posted by GardenGal at 7:57 PM on May 25, 2008

I pan roast them with carrots. Break the root ends off of a bunch of asparagus if they're tough, then slice or break the bunch in half. Peeling the root ends is optional. Slice carrots into sticks of roughly equal length to the two asparagus pieces. Heat olive oil over medium to high heat in a large saute pan. Add carrot sticks first and cook, tossing periodically until they start to brown a little on all sides (especially when you first add them to the pan, stir to evenly coat them with the oil). Add asparagus root ends and cook until they start to brown, then add the tip ends and do the same thing. Turn the heat down to low, cover partially, and cook until you can pierce the carrots with a fork. There's a whole range of textures at which this can be considered "done", depending on whether you like it crunchy or tender.
posted by Caviar at 5:21 AM on May 26, 2008

(and don't forget to salt them)
posted by Caviar at 5:23 AM on May 26, 2008

I want to second the asparagus soup. I ate one portion at Cafe Mozart in Vienna and it was absolutely brilliant.

I don't know how it was made, only that it was a white, pasty sweet soup and was one of the best soups I have ever eaten (and I only ate it because it was the special on the menu; I didn't expect to like it so much).

I've tried googling for it, maybe it's this one?
posted by Masi at 10:47 AM on May 26, 2008

I want to second the asparagus pesto, but the way I make it is much simpler--go ahead and roast it in the oven at about 450 F with a little olive oil and salt and pepper, then cut it in 1-2 inch pieces and then puree it in a blender with more olive oil and salt/pepper to taste. Serve it on pasta with grated parmesan.

You will be amazed at how good it is; it really doesn't need garlic or nuts or anything.

Thanks for asking this--I just ate a whole package of asparagus roasted tonight and like you I ought to be more creative with it.
posted by exceptinsects at 10:44 PM on May 26, 2008

This five-ingredient pasta dish is the best! Seriously, my ex-boyfriend was an asparagus lover and used to eat it like three days a week.
posted by jrichards at 7:14 AM on May 27, 2008

I like asparagus raw, marinated in olive oil with some salt. I only do this with thin asparagus--doesn't work with the thick ones.
posted by dobbs at 8:32 AM on May 27, 2008