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ITALIAN RECIPES

Asparagus Recipes

Asparagus Risotto

Ingredients:

1pound (500 g) asparagus
1/2 a small onion, finely sliced
1 1/2 cups (300 g) short-grained rice along the lines of Arborio
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, or: 1/4 cup olive oil + 2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup dry white wine, warmed
1 cup grated Parmigiano
The water the asparagus was cooked in, topped off with beef broth or vegetable bouillon to make 1 quart, simmering
Salt and white pepper

Preparation:

Clean and boil the asparagus for a few minutes (use an asparagus pot if you have one), or until a fork easily penetrates the tip of a spear. Use tongs to remove the asparagus from the water. Trim the tips from the stalks and set them aside.

Cut the remaining green part of the stalks into one-inch lengths and set them aside too. Return the white ends of the stocks to the pot, along with the broth or bullion.
Sauté the onion in half the butter or the oil, and when it's translucent, remove it to a plate with a slotted spoon. Next, stir in the rice and sauté, stirring, until the grains have turned translucent, 5-7 minutes.

Stir in the warmed wine and cook until it has evaporated. Then add the one-inch lengths of green asparagus stem to the rice, and begin stirring in the liquid, a ladle full at a time. Should a white stem find its way into the pot, remove it.
Continue adding liquid, and when the rice is almost done, stir in half the reserved tips.

Check seasoning and continue cooking the rice till it's al dente. Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining butter and half the grated cheese.
Let the risotto stand covered for two minutes, then transfer it to a serving dish and garnish it with the remaining tips. Sprinkle the remaining grated cheese over it and serve.
The wine? Asparagus works best with whites, and I would go for a Roero Arneis, or perhaps a Lugana.
Serves 4-6.

Asparagus with Prosciutto

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds (1.2 k) asparagus
12 slices prosciutto di Parma
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmigiano

Preparation:

Wash the asparagus, tie the bunches together and trim the ends so the stalks are all the same length. Then boil the bunches, standing upright, in about three inches of lightly salted water until the tips droop, 5-8 minutes.
While the asparagus is cooking, take an oven-proof serving dish, melt half the butter in it, and dust it with half the grated cheese.

Also, preheat your oven to 360 F (180C).
Drain them and divide them into groups of 2-3. Wrap the groups in the slices of prosciutto, leaving the tips free, and put them into the oven proof dish. Dot the bunches with the remaining butter, sprinkle them with cheese, and bake them for 6-8 minutes.

Grilled Asparagus

Ingredients:

2 cups hickory chips for grilling
2 lbs. asparagus, trimmed
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp. coarse salt

Preparation:

Soak hickory chips in water and place on charcoal when ready to cook. In large pan, toss asparagus with olive oil and salt until coated. Carefully place on grill and cook for 4-7 minutes until tender.
Serves 6-8

Asparagus Flan

Ingredients:

2 pounds (800 g) plump, fleshy asparagus spears
5 eggs
1 1 /5 cups (300 ml) whole milk
3 tablespoons grated pecorino cheese
Salt to taste
A pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
Butter and breadcrumbs to line the pan

Preparation:

Wash the asparagus spears and trim away the fibrous white extremities, then boil them in lightly salted water, in an asparagus pot if you have one, for about 10 minutes, or until they soften but retain a certain amount of crispness.
Remove them to a plate, and, as soon as they're cool enough to handle cut them into inch-long lengths, setting the tips aside.

Preheat your oven to 380 F (190 C). Liberally butter a 10-11 inch (25-26 cm) pan and coat the insides with the breadcrumbs.
Beat the milk, eggs, nutmeg, and grated cheese in a bowl. Pour the mixture into the pan and add the asparagus stalks (they'll float). Bake the sformato for about 10 minutes, then add the tips, sprinkling them over the top, and bake for another 20 minutes, or until it has firmed up throughout.
Let cool and serve sliced, with a fairly rich white wine.

Asparagus Parmigiana Style

Ingredients:

4 1/2 pounds (2k) asparagus
2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano
1/2 cup meat sauce or unsalted butter
4 hard-boiled eggs
Salt & freshly ground pepper

Preparation:

Wash the asparagus and cook them in bunches, upright in lightly salted boiling water sufficient to reach up to where the stalks shift from white to green, so the bases will be boiled while the tips are steamed.
When they are cooked (5-8 minutes, or until the tips begin to droop), cut away and discard the white parts, and arrange the spears in an oven-proof dish, dusting each layer with Parmigiano, butter or meat sauce, and crumbled hard-boiled egg.
Slip the pan into a medium oven (380 F, 190 C) to brown, or run it under a broiler for a few minutes.

Asparagus in Vinaigrette Sauce

Ingredients:

6 1/2 pounds (3 k) of asparagus
1/2 cup (100 g) unswalted butter
3 tablespoons flour
A ladle of good broth
3 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation:

Wash the asparagus with care, tie them into bunches, trim the woody ends as need be to make sure they're all the same length, and stand the bunches in a pot. Fill the pot with enough water to reach up through the white parts of the stalks.
Then remove the bunches and bring the pot to a rolling boil. Once the water has reached a boil salt it lightly, add the asparagus, and cook covered for 5-8 minutes, or until the tips droop.

While the water is heating prepare the sauce: Melt half the butter in a pot, stir in the four and a drop of broth, and brown the mixture lightly.
Whisk in the remaining broth in a slow stream, stirring briskly to keep lumps from forming, then add the vinegar as well, and finally the remaining butter. Stir well and season the sauce to taste.
Arrange the asparagus on a platter, pour the sauce over it, and serve.

Buon appetito!

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