Happy May, all! In Foodville, this month is when one of our favourite vegetables starts poppin’ – Asparagus. DadChef and I biked over to our local Farmer’s Market last weekend just to grab a bunch of these green beauties. Boiled, roasted, baked, satueed, there are so many simple and delicious ways to enjoy this in-season veg, so asparagus a minute while we share 6 Asparagus Recipes we think your family will love!
1. Springtime Asparagus & Peas Pasta
Combining asparagus & our family’s favourite pasta is a classic meal on repeat rotation around here and we think your gang will love this 20-minute springtime dish as much as we do!
Springtime Asparagus & Peas Pasta
Equipment
- Large pot
- Pan or Skillet
Ingredients
- 500 g Pasta (*we used Vegetable Bow Ties*)
- 1 bunch Asparagus trim ends & cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 cup green peas fresh or frozen
- 2 Spring Onions chopped
- 2 cloves fresh garlic minced
- 4 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (*or 1 stick of Butter*)
- ¼ cup low-sodium broth any
- 1 cup milk (*we used 2% dairy for taste factor & added protein*)
- ¾ cup Ricotta Cheese (*we used a light version*)
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- Coarse salt & ground black pepper to taste
- fresh parsley, basil or micro greens for garnish
- zest of lemon *to taste*
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to boil, add the pasta & cook until “al dente”. Drain.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in the pan over medium heat, add spring onions + garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until noticeably tender.
- Add milk, broth and ricotta, bring heat to medium-high, and whisk until mixture begins to boil. Let simmer for a few minutes, then add asparagus + peas and cook for about 3 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium, then stir in Parmesan cheese. Add pasta to the sauce and toss until well-coated. Optional: elevate the flavour with some zest of lemon. Garnish with fresh parsley, basil or micro greens & freshly grated cheese. Serve immediately. Buon Appetito!
2. Simple Asparagus Fritatta Recipe
Frittata (meaning “fried”) is a classic egg-based Italian dish. If your family loves omelettes, scrambled eggs or crustless quiche, you’ll enjoy this one too! It’s a great way to use up leftover cooked veggies and meats from the fridge, or pack with farm-fresh asparagus. Delizioso!
Simple Asparagus Frittata Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter or cooking oil
- 6 large eggs
- 4 shallots *sliced
- 1 lb fresh asparagus bunch *thinner spears better for this recipe*
- 3/4 cup ricotta cheese *use reduced fat version to lighten up*
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tbsp fresh chives *snip with scissors into small pieces*
- 1 pinch onion powder
- 1 cup Italian blend or Mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Heat butter/oil on medium heat in small, oven-proof skillet. Add sliced shallots & sautee until they turn translucent (approx. 2 mins). Add asparagus & cook additional 2-3 mins.
- Beat eggs, ricotta cheese & salt together, then add snipped chives (*stir*)
- Pour egg mixture into skillet & let cook on medium until almost set, but still runny on top (about 5 mins). Meanwhile, preheat oven on Broil.
- Sprinkle cheese evenly over the egg mix and place in the oven to broil until cheese is melted and slightly golden brown (6-8 mins).
- Very carefully remove skillet from the oven with mitts. Let frittata sit about 5 mins to set then slice into wedges (we got six slices out of ours, but make smaller/bigger based on your crowd). Garnish with chopped chives & serve on it's own, or pair with bread and/or a Spring salad for a complete meal. Buon appetito!
3. Sheet Pan Roasted Garlic Parmesan Asparagus & Potatoes
Sheet pan roasted asparagus and potatoes are so delish & so simple to make. We usually bake this one up as a side to our Lemon Garlic Sheet Pan Salmon.
Sheet Pan Roasted Garlic Parmesan Veggies – so easy, so delish! We pair this with Lemon-Garlic Salmon.
Sheet Pan Roasted Garlic Parmesan Asparagus & Potatoes
Equipment
- Sheet pan
Ingredients
- 1 bunch Asparagus washed & ends trimmed
- 1 1.5lb bag Red Little Gem Potatoes cut into halves
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil *enough to lightly coat asparagus & potatoes on the sheet pan*
- Parmesan Cheese Grated & to taste
- Garlic Powder to taste
- Coarse salt & ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Lay out asparagus and potatoes - staggering each evenly around the parchment paper-lined sheet pan.
- Drizzle olive oil over top of the vegetables, then sprinkle garlic powder, parmesan cheese & salt + pepper. Toss until asparagus & potatoes are evenly coated.
- Bake on middle rack of oven approx. 30 minutes, turning vegetables over a mid-point. That's it! Enjoy! And tag us on social if you try @House_of_Kerrs.
4. Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus
One of my favourite ways to enjoy leftover asparagus – wrapped in prosciutto and drizzled with balsamic glaze! Add this one to your al fresco dining this season.
© House of Kerrs
5. One-Pan Pasta Fresca
We make this on repeat this time of year with in-season veg and fresh pasta or cut up leftover lasagna sheets. If you try it, you’ll understand why!
6. Cheesy Asparagus Puff Pastry Tart
Melt in your mouth combo of asparagus, Gruyere + Fontina cheeses & egg baked on butter puff pastry. Cut up and serve as an appetizer or pair with a spring salad to make it a meal!
Cheesy Asparagus Puff Pastry Tart
Ingredients
- 1 225 g sheet butter puff pastry *thawed; we used President's Choice; measure about 8 x 8 in size*
- 5 spears asparagus *trim, boil, blanch*
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup Gruyere cheese *shredded*
- 1 cup Fontina Cheese *shredded*
- 1 green onion *chopped - pale green to white bulb stalk portion; use dark green shoot portion for garnish*
- 3 tbsp 5% cream *whole milk, or heavier cream works as well*
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil *small portion to drizzle over asparagus*
- Garlic powder *to taste*
- salt & pepper *to taste*
- Parmigiano Reggiano cheese *freshly grated*
- Zest of lemon *for garnish, to taste*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. If not already, thaw your puff pastry to room temperature. Roll out & add pastry sheet to parchment paper lined sheet pan. Prick the pastry with a fork or pick evenly around the surface area. Bake on middle oven rack 5-8 minutes until edges turn slightly golden. Remove & set aside.
- In a pan, boil your asparagus in about 1/2 - 3/4 inch of water 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat, drain hot water, then run the asparagus under cold water immediately to stop cooking (blanch).
- In a mixing bowl, add your eggs, cream & green onion - whip together. Fold in your shredded cheeses. Add some garlic powder & a few pinches each salt & pepper - mix.
- Smother the baked pastry tart with your egg-cheese mixture, leaving ½-¾ inch border/crust. Lay out your asparagus spears, drizzle with a bit of olive oil & sprinkle a few pinches grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese evenly over top.
- Bake on middle oven rack 400°F for about 10 minutes, then turn temp to BROIL setting and broil about 5 mins (until cheese bubbles golden). Remove from oven & let sit about 5 mins. Sprinkle a bit of lemon zest over top. Cut into small squares with a pizza cutter & serve as an appetizer, on a brunch board or as a side to your favourite salad! Delish!
Video
Other ways we enjoy in-season asparagus we just haven’t had time to shoot for a recipe post:
- Shaved on top of Focaccia or Pizza Bianca
- Chopped up in a Pasta Salad
- Sauteed with garlic & butter
We hope we’ve inspired your family to try one of these easy asparagus recipes & if you do, please share! We love seeing you cook it up with your crew in your Cucinas!
Keep well, eat well,
Love the recipes. Will try a couple during the month.
Thanks so much 🙂 Let us know what you think! <3
Wanted to try the Asparagus & Cheese Tart but can’t find any mention of eggs in the ingredient list although the instructions say to add the “eggs” to the cream and onions so I’m wondering how many eggs to use.
Thanks so much for the catch, Patty! Apologies for that! 2 Eggs! Recipe has been updated 🙂 Let us know what you think!
Let’s just say that it was very tasty after I cut off all the edges – even 4 min under my broiler was too much time 😉. I will definitely make it again!