10 Best Recipes With Asparagus

Spring brings with it many tasty and colorful vegetables! Among these we definitely find asparagus, a vegetable much loved in the kitchen. In Lombardy it is used for asparagus Milanese, a delicious second course that can be prepared in a short time! Another way to cook this splendid fruit of spring is definitely the savory asparagus pie, perfect to take with you on your picnics. Alternatively, you can make asparagus soup, a first course that can enhance all their delicate and refined flavor!

Versatile and typical vegetables of the spring season, asparagus make a fine show of themselves on the stalls of our markets from the end of March to the whole month of May. Colourful, very fragrant and to be selected rigorously firm and turgid, they are available in numerous different varieties, all to be experimented with in the kitchen.

From green asparagus, the most common and with a typical herbaceous scent due to the abundance of chlorophyll, to the lesser-known white asparagus, more delicate and fleshy.

Characterised by a tender consistency and a distinctly sweetish flavour, asparagus are ideal for steaming or blanching in water for just a few minutes, just enough time to soften them and savour their full fragrance.

If you live in wooded areas, you can collect wild asparagus, but it is best to do it as soon as possible to avoid the plant aging and these becoming hard and woody. Thinner and with a slightly bitter taste, asparagus are excellent boiled or combined with a creamy risotto.

Belonging to the Liliaceae family, close relatives of garlic, onions and leeks, asparagus is a vegetable with a thousand-year history. Known according to legend since ancient Egypt, asparagus was actually born in Asia and then spread throughout Europe. The ancient Greeks and Romans were the first to appreciate its innumerable virtues.

Low in calories and rich in water, vitamins, mineral salts and fiber, asparagus boast excellent diuretic, detoxifying and rebalancing qualities, proving to be very valid allies of well-being. And if the qualities of asparagus was not enough to convince you, the unmistakable taste and great gastronomic eclecticism will do the trick.

When you buy them, pay attention to the tip, which must be well closed and straight, and to the stems, firm and consistent, and finally to the color, a beautiful bright green. To clean them, it will be enough to eliminate the hardest and woodiest part, taking care to cut the stems from about five centimeters below the tip, recovering the waste part to make a vegetable broth to add during cooking to a risotto, a soup or a cream of vegetables.

But how can they be cooked? In various, and almost infinite, ways, asparagus can be blanched in water, placed in the appropriate pan or in a rather narrow and deep pot (with the tips sticking out of the water), and then seasoned with a drizzle of oil, a few drops of lemon juice and a pinch of salt.

In this case, you just need to combine asparagus with two eggs with the yolk still melting, a few flakes of parmesan and a creamy mayonnaise to enjoy a dish for true gourmands. But it certainly doesn't end there. You can quickly sauté them in a pan with a drizzle of oil, to preserve their color and crunchiness, and add them to a plate of pasta or risotto.

Always for lovers of first courses, it is possible to prepare lasagnette, stuffed pasta or crêpes to be stuffed with stringy and super delicious cheeses. Very beautiful aesthetically, they are also perfect as a final garnish for savory pies, rustici, quiches, muffins and refined cheesecakes.

If you are looking for a tasty side dish, you are spoiled for choice: try them baked au gratin, succulent and with a golden crust, grilled or in butter, excellent to accompany meat, fish or egg omelettes.

Those who love them madly, and who wish to consume them even out of season, can preserve them in brine or in oil, to have them available throughout the rest of the year, even for an aperitif or a dinner organized at the last minute: success is guaranteed.

Our best asparagus recipes include many examples of how you can make the most of these delicate-looking and flavorful vegetables.

1. Steamed Asparagus

Steamed asparagus is a tasty and light spring side dish, ideal to accompany meat and fish main courses. The steaming technique will also keep the taste and precious nutrients of this vegetable intact. Rich in fiber, vitamins and mineral salts, it is characterized by exceptional diuretic and antioxidant properties.

Wash the asparagus under cold water and dry them gently. Remove the end of the stem with a knife. Pour the water into the steamer or a tall pot. Place the asparagus in the steamer basket. Cover with its lid. Cook for 10 minutes. Transfer the cooked asparagus to a serving dish. Season them with a pinch of salt.

Season the asparagus with a sprinkling of black pepper. Pour a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Finally complete with lemon juice.

2. Asparagus Pie

Savory asparagus pie is a simple and tasty rustic dish perfect to serve as an appetizer or a delicious main course. It is prepared by stuffing a roll of puff pastry with a creamy filling made with ricotta, eggs, asparagus and parmesan. You can play with flavors and consistencies as you like, and fill the pie with the ingredients you like.

Wash the asparagus under cold running water and, with the help of a knife, remove the final harder and woodier part. Cut the asparagus lengthwise and divide them in half. Immerse them in a saucepan with plenty of cold water and let them cook for about ten minutes starting from boiling. Once finished, drain them and let them cool.

Once lukewarm, cut half of the asparagus into slices and leave the remaining half whole. Collect the ricotta in a bowl, well drained from the whey. Add the asparagus cut into rounds. Add the egg. Pour the grated parmesan. Add salt to taste. Season with a pinch of pepper.

Mix all the ingredients well by stirring with a spoon, until the mixture becomes creamy and smooth. Cover a 22 cm diameter mould with a sheet of baking paper and line it with the roll of puff pastry. Then prick the surface with the prongs of a fork.

Pour the filling into the puff pastry shell and level the surface well with the back of a spoon. Arrange the whole asparagus that you kept aside on the filling; arrange them in a spiral starting from the centre of the cake and leaving 1 cm of space from the edge.

Seal the edges well by closing them over the filling and leave to cook in the oven at 180°C, in fan-assisted mode, for approximately 25 minutes. Once the cooking time is up, take the cake out of the oven and let it cool.

3. Asparagus Muffin

Asparagus muffins are a delicious and easy appetizer, ideal for the spring season. A perfect recipe to bring to the table for Easter lunch or to offer to friends and relatives during the classic Easter Monday outing or a picnic in the park.

Clean the asparagus: remove the woody end, wash them and cut them into pieces, keeping the tips aside; cook them in a pan with a knob of butter and 1/2 glass of water for 5 minutes. Add the tips and continue cooking for just one minute, just enough time for the bottom to dry. Season with salt.

In a container, beat the milk with the egg and the seed oil. In a bowl collect the flour, salt and baking powder for savory cakes. Add the grated parmesan. Mix well. Pour the previously prepared liquid mixture. Add the cooked asparagus, leaving a few tips aside, and the diced fontina, then mix gently.

Butter a muffin tin and spread the mixture just below the edge; decorate with the asparagus tips kept aside and bake at 180°C, in a static oven, for approximately 20 minutes. Once the cooking time is up, take the asparagus muffins out of the oven, turn them out and serve them piping hot.

4. Fried Asparagus

Fried asparagus is a crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside appetizer, perfect as an appetizer or as an aperitif accompanied by tasty sauces.

Clean the asparagus and remove the hardest and most radical part of the stem. Lightly peel the stems using a potato peeler. Once cleaned, rinse the asparagus under running water. Place the asparagus in the basket of a steamer. Place the basket over a special pot with three fingers of water inside and steam them for 5 minutes.

Once cooked, let them cool and then pass them in the flour. Then dip them in the beaten egg. Finally, coat them with breadcrumbs. Heat plenty of seed oil in a large pan. When the oil is boiling, immerse the asparagus and fry them until golden brown. Remove them delicately and let them drain on a sheet of kitchen paper.

Arrange the fried asparagus on a serving plate.

5. Asparagus Fritters

Asparagus fritters are a simple and delicious appetizer, a dish to make in spring, when asparagus is in season and therefore at its best, ideal to serve at a family lunch or a dinner with friends.

Wash the asparagus and remove the hardest part of the stems. Cut the asparagus into small pieces. Cook them in boiling, lightly salted water for about ten minutes or until they are soft. Once ready, drain them and transfer them to a bowl. Mash them with a fork. Add the grated parmesan cheese.

Beat the eggs with salt and pepper and pour the mixture into the bowl with the asparagus. Also add the breadcrumbs. Mix until all the ingredients are well combined. Heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in a pan, take portions of dough with a spoon and form little piles in the pan, or use a cookie cutter.

Cook on low heat for a couple of minutes, then turn the pancakes over and continue cooking on the other side. Once ready, transfer the fritters onto kitchen paper to remove excess oil. Transfer them to a serving dish and serve them piping hot, accompanied by a sauce of your choice.

6. Asparagus Plumcake

Asparagus plumcake is a simple but impressive appetizer, made with a dough made of flour, eggs, milk, oil and cheese. Asparagus, a spring vegetable par excellence, are arranged in layers inside the mold, giving this savory cake an elegant and scenic appearance when cut.

First clean the asparagus, remove the woody end and any external stringy parts with a potato peeler. Boil them in salted water for about 8 minutes: they must remain crunchy. If you don't have an asparagus cooker, keep the tips out of the water for the first few minutes of cooking. Drain and pat dry with kitchen paper.

In a bowl put the powders: flour, parmesan, baking powder for savory cakes and salt. Mix with a whisk. Pour the milk and extra virgin olive oil into a container, then add the eggs and mix for a few moments with the hand whisk.

Pour the liquids on the powders and mix the dough well, working it for about 2-3 minutes so that there are no lumps. Line a 25cm long mould with a sheet of baking paper, pour in a little mixture and arrange 4-5 asparagus lengthwise. Cover with a second layer of dough.

Arrange more asparagus. Finally cover with the remaining dough and the last asparagus and cook in the oven at 180°C, in static mode, for approximately 45-50 minutes. Once the cooking time is up, take the plumcake out of the oven and let it cool. Turn it out and serve, cut into slices.

7. Asparagus Crêpe

Asparagus crêpes are a tasty and refined first course, perfect to share on holidays and special occasions. Perfect for the spring season, they will conquer everyone for their creaminess and delicacy.

Crack open the eggs for the crepe batter and collect them in a bowl. Beat them with a whisk and add the milk little by little. Add the flour and continue mixing with the whisk. Complete the batter with salt, cover with cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Grease the bottom of a crepe pan with a little butter and heat the pan over low heat. Then drop a ladle of batter at a time, taking care to distribute it over the surface of the crepe pan. Cook for a few minutes and then turn the crepes over.

Brown the crepes on the other side as well and then stack them on top of each other as they are ready. Cover with a cloth and set aside. Prepare the béchamel: melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the flour and let the roux brown. Pour in the milk, stirring with a whisk and season with salt.

Flavour with a grating of nutmeg and a grind of pepper, then cook the béchamel until it coats the whisk. Turn off and set aside. Clean the asparagus, remove the hardest and woodiest end part, breaking them at the point where they start to show signs of weakness.

Keep aside the more delicate tips and chop the stems. Peel and slice the onion and brown it in a pan with a little oil. Add the diced asparagus and cook over a high heat, then add 1/2 glass of water and cook for 10 minutes. Add salt to taste, mix and turn off the heat.

Blanch the asparagus tips for 7-8 minutes in boiling water. Then drain and set aside. Sprinkle each crepe with a layer of béchamel sauce. Add a few spoonfuls of asparagus stalks to the center and complete with a few tips. Fold the side ends of each crepe towards the center, then roll the crepe up to form packets.

Cover the bottom of a baking dish with a thin layer of béchamel sauce. Arrange the crepe parcels next to each other. Sprinkle the surface with béchamel sauce. Also add the asparagus tips. Finish with a generous sprinkling of parmesan on top.

Cook in a preheated oven at 200°C for 15 minutes, then switch to grill mode for another 5 minutes and take out of the oven. Serve the asparagus crepes piping hot.

8. Asparagus Burger

Asparagus burgers are a simple and tasty vegetarian second course, prepared with a dough made from chopped blanched asparagus, mashed boiled potatoes and grated cheese.

Wash the asparagus and dry them with a sheet of kitchen paper. Remove the hardest and most radical part of the stem. Boil the potatoes in boiling water for about 20 minutes, or until they are soft when pierced with the prongs of a fork. Once finished, drain them, let them cool and peel them.

Pass the still hot potatoes through a potato masher and collect the puree in a bowl. Blanch the asparagus in salted water for 10-12 minutes. Drain them, chop them finely with a knife and pour them into the bowl with the mashed potatoes.

Then add the grated parmesan, and season with salt and pepper: if the mixture is too soft, you can add a spoonful of breadcrumbs. Fill an 8 cm diameter pastry cutter with the mixture obtained, placed on a plate sprinkled with breadcrumbs, then carefully turn the burgers and bread them on the other side. Continue in this way until you have used up all the ingredients.

Heat a drizzle of oil in a non-stick pan, arrange the burgers and let them brown on both sides. Once ready, arrange the asparagus burgers on a serving plate.

9. Asparagus Pancake

Asparagus pancakes are the spring variation of the classic sweet pancakes, the typical American fritters. Soft and delicious, they are perfect to serve as an appetizer, during an aperitif with friends or for Sunday brunch, accompanied by a tasty sauce or a platter of cold cuts and cheeses.

Heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in a pan and fry the shallot. Add the asparagus, cleaned and cut into small pieces. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for about ten minutes until they are soft. Turn off and let cool.

Break the eggs into a bowl. Add the flour and yeast. Combine the yogurt, milk and grated lemon zest. Mix everything together to make the mixture uniform until it is smooth, creamy and free of lumps. Add the asparagus and mix again to combine.

Heat a non-stick pan, pour in the mixture a ladle at a time and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown. If you prefer, you can cook the pancakes by adding a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to the pan: this will give you a result more similar to fritters. In this case, once cooked, pat them dry with kitchen paper to remove the excess oil.

10. Asparagus Salad

Asparagus salad is a fresh and nutritious side dish, perfect to bring to the table as a single dish for any family lunch or dinner.

Clean the asparagus: lightly peel the stem with the help of a potato peeler and remove the final, harder and woody part with a knife. Cut the asparagus into 2-3 pieces and steam them for a few minutes: at the end, they should remain firm and crunchy. Then transfer them to a plate and let them cool.

Wash the tomatoes and cut them into wedges, then rinse the salad under running water, dry it and roughly chop it with your hands. Cut the mozzarella into slices, well drained from the whey, and finely chop a few stems of chives. Arrange the tomatoes and lettuce leaves on the bottom of a baking dish.

Add the mozzarella. Add the pitted black olives. Continue with the steamed asparagus. Flavour with green onions. Season with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and season with salt. Lastly with the broken breadsticks mix carefully. Transfer the asparagus salad to a serving plate.