I’ve been craving spring vegetables for weeks, and here in the Northeast, we’re just now beginning to dip into the season for them. The top of my list? The humble stalk of asparagus, which can be used in so many incredible ways in the kitchen for delicious results.
Recipe Spotlight
Asparagus Is the Ultimate Spring Vegetable. Here’s How You Should Be Cooking It
It’s finally time to cook with spring veggies, and we recommend starting with asparagus.
By Published Mar. 22, 2023.
Here’s what I’m planning to make with my asparagus this spring.
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10 ingredients. 45 minutes. Quick, easy, and fresh weeknight recipes.
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Ricotta Crostini with Asparagus and Radishes
You know those dishes that just look and taste like spring? These crunchy little bites of veggie-forward flavor are bursting with freshness and are the perfect party snack. With lashings of ricotta spread onto crunchy sliced baguette, asparagus and peppery radishes are the so-called cherries on top of this little bite of sunshine.
Here’s how to make them in just three easy steps.
Ricotta Crostini with Asparagus and Radishes
Makes 24 crostini
- 24 (¼-inch-thick) slices baguette
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 ounces asparagus, trimmed and sliced thin on bias
- 4 radishes, trimmed and sliced thin
- ¼ cup minced fresh chives
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 1 anchovy fillet, minced
- ½ teaspoon table salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, divided
- 6 ounces (¾ cup) whole-milk ricotta cheese
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange baguette slices in single layer on rimmed baking sheet. Brush tops of slices with 2 tablespoons oil. Bake until golden brown and crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely on sheet, about 30 minutes.
2. Combine asparagus, radishes, chives, lemon juice, garlic, anchovy, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and 2 tablespoons oil in bowl; set aside.
3. Process ricotta, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper in food processor until smooth, about 10 seconds. With processor running, slowly add remaining 2 tablespoons oil until incorporated; transfer to bowl. Spread ricotta mixture evenly on toasted baguette slices. Spoon asparagus mixture over ricotta. Serve.
Asparagus Fries
There are plenty of people out there who claim that anything is better when fried. They may not be wrong, but I’d like to take that one step further—I believe anything is better when fries. That’s right: While asparagus is perfectly delicious roasted, blanched, or steamed, how could you possibly go wrong with Asparagus Fries?
This vegetable’s snappy spears are perfect candidates to be fries’d (yes, a verb I’ve decided to coin) and come with a whole heap of extra nutritional benefits when compared with your average french fry.
Recipe
Asparagus Fries
How do you transform a common spring vegetable into something truly special? Turn it into “fries.”Get the Recipe
Penne with Pancetta and Asparagus
Another great thing about asparagus? It can elevate a weeknight-friendly dish with a bit of veggie glamor. Take this penne pasta recipe that takes less than an hour from stovetop to table and uses nutty seared asparagus and rendered pancetta to introduce big flavors.
To finish off this mouthwatering bowl, top your pasta and vegetables with creamy mascarpone, bright lemon juice, and savory Pecorino Romano. Need I say more?
Recipe
Penne with Pancetta and Asparagus
Our goal: a restaurant-quality dish with a weeknight-friendly cooking process.Get the Recipe
Spaghetti with Spring Vegetables
We’ll be finishing this list off with a heavy-hitter: a pasta primavera dupe that pares down the ingredients list for a simple yet stunningly elegant springtime pasta. This recipe encourages you to slightly overcook zucchini to create a silky-smooth sauce that coats the pasta and its accompanying vegetables.
This is truly a dish that looks almost as good as it tastes, with verdant strands of spaghetti setting the background for an explosion of color from fresh cherry tomatoes and emerald asparagus and peas.
Recipe
Spaghetti with Spring Vegetables
Pasta primavera is easier said than made. We set out to change that.Get the Recipe
