Asparagus Venetian Food

SAUTEED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Snap off the woody ends of 2 bunches medium asparagus; discard. Slice the spears diagonally into 2-inch pieces. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; add the asparagus and cook until tender but still bright green, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and toss with the juice of 1 lemon. Top with 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds, and lemon zest to taste.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Put the asparagus on a baking sheet, drizzle on the oil, sprinkle on the salt and pepper and toss. Roast until tender and browning at the edges, about 20 minutes.

ASPARAGUS FRITTATA

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F.
• In large bowl combine beaten eggs with the milk and Parmesan. Heat the butter and oil in a large saute pan, until the butter is frothy. Add the onion and cook until the onion is translucent and golden, being careful not to burn them. Using a large wooden spatula, stir in the eggs and turn the heat down to very low. Stir the eggs to form a large flat omelet shape, fully covering the bottom of the pan. When the eggs begin to cook and take shape, stir in the diced asparagus and the herbs. Place the whole saute pan into the oven and continue to cook for 2 more minutes until the frittata is cooked around the edges and the center has puffed up.
• Remove immediately form the oven. Invert the frittata onto a large platter and serve immediately.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH FETA CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Divide and toss the asparagus with the olive oil, salt, and pepper, and arrange in a single layer on 2 to 3 separate large rimmed baking sheets.
• Place in the oven and roast until the spears are tender and the tips are turning golden and slightly charred, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Prepare the vinaigrette while the asparagus is roasting. To a bowl, add the Dijon mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil to emulsify. Taste for seasoning and adjust, if necessary.
• Remove the asparagus from the oven and place on a serving platter. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and sprinkle with the feta cheese. Serve warm or at room temperature.

RISOTTO WITH ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Peel the bottom third of the asparagus stalks with a vegetable peeler. Snap each stalk where it breaks naturally; reserve 4 of the peeled bottoms for crostini (below). Thinly slice 6 asparagus bottoms and place the rest of the bottoms in a saucepan with 8 cups water and the thyme to make asparagus broth; bring to a simmer.
• Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until glossy, about 1 minute. Add 1 1/4 teaspoons salt. Pour in the wine and stir until absorbed. Stir in 1/2 cup of the asparagus broth until absorbed (use a ladle to add the broth, keeping the solids in the pan). Continue to add broth in 1/2-cup increments, stirring constantly and allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding more, about 10 minutes. (You should have about half the broth left.) Stir in the sliced asparagus bottoms and the lemon zest. Add the remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, until the rice is just tender, 5 to 8 more minutes.
• Meanwhile, place the asparagus tips in a large skillet, cover with water and season with salt and pepper. Simmer over medium-high heat until just tender, about 5 minutes.
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, the parmesan and lemon juice to the risotto. Stir in the lettuce, remove from the heat and season with salt. Divide among bowls, top with the robiola and season with pepper. Drizzle the asparagus tips with olive oil and spoon over the risotto.

BASIC BOILED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Bring about 6 quarts of water to a rapid boil in a covered pot large enough to hold the asparagus. Cut the bottom section- usually about 1 to 2 inches off the asparagus stalks with a sharp knife. Peel the asparagus by laying them flat, one at a time, on a cutting board. If the asparagus are thinner than 1/2-inch, use a vegetable peeler and peel the asparagus starting at the base of the tip and peeling them all the way down to the base, eliminating the fibrous peel and revealing the pale green flesh. If the asparagus are very thick or woody, use a paring knife and start peeling from the base. When ready to cook, toss the salt into the boiling water and carefully lower in the asparagus. Turn the heat to low and simmer the asparagus, uncovered, until the spears are easily penetrated with a knife, usually after about 5 minutes but from 1 minute for very thin asparagus to 12 minutes for the very thickest. If serving cold asparagus, plunge the hot cooked asparagus into ice water or rinse under cold water in a colander. Pat dry.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Break off the tough ends of the asparagus and, if they're thick, peel them. Place the asparagus on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, then toss to coat the asparagus completely. Spread the asparagus in a single layer and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast the asparagus for 25 minutes, until tender but still crisp.