ASPARAGUS GOAT CHEESE TART
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS This beautiful tart takes just minutes to assemble and makes for an impressive brunch dish, appetizer, or even a simple light lunch or dinner. We experimented with several different crusts, trying a pie shell, a tart shell, and parbaked puff pastry. The buttery, flaky puff pastry was absolutely irresistible, and so […]
CREAMY ASPARAGUS SOUP
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Cream of asparagus soup should be bright green, bursting with asparagus flavor, and flawlessly smooth, but often the butter and cream stirred in before serving make the soup heavy. To eke out maximum asparagus flavor, we tried sautéing the spears, but ended up with a dark, bitter soup. Broiling the asparagus […]
TORTELLINI SALAD WITH ASPARAGUS AND FRESH BASIL DRESSING
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS For a super easy pasta salad that would impress any picnic crowd, we paired convenient store-bought cheese tortellini with crisp asparagus and a dressing inspired by the flavors of classic pesto. First, we blanched the asparagus in the same water we later used to cook the tortellini, which imbued the pasta […]
ASPARAGUS SALAD WITH RADISHES, PECORINO ROMANO, AND CROUTONS
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Raw asparagus is just as delicious as cooked; it’s mildly sweet and nutty, with a delicate crunch and none of the sulfurous flavors that cooked asparagus sometimes has. Many recipes call for cut-up lengths of raw asparagus, but even when we peeled the spears, they were too fibrous. As long as […]
GRILLED ASPARAGUS
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS The main challenge with grilling delicate asparagus is protecting it from overcooking while still developing a good char. For great grilled asparagus, we opted for thicker spears, which combined maximum browning potential with a meaty, crisp-tender texture. A simple medium-hot fire worked best—the spears were on and off the grill in […]
BRAISED ASPARAGUS, PEAS, AND RADISHES WITH TARRAGON
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Braising asparagus is an unexpected but delightful way to capitalize on its tender springtime freshness. To turn our early season asparagus into a side dish, we started by softening minced shallot in olive oil with additional aromatics. To build a flavorful braising liquid, we poured in water and lemon and orange […]
PARMESAN-CRUSTED ASPARAGUS
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS A cheesy, light-and-crisp coating makes asparagus irresistible, so naturally you want it to stay put when you’re eating the asparagus. So, we first salted the spears to rid them of excess moisture. Then we whipped a combination of honey and egg whites to soft peaks, dipped the asparagus spears in the […]
ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH MINT-ORANGE GREMOLATA
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Oven roasting can bring out the best in seasonal vegetables. But when it comes to delicate asparagus, simply tossing the spears with oil, salt, and pepper and spreading them on a baking sheet doesn’t always produce reliably crisp-tender spears. After a few tests, we discovered that thicker asparagus (½ to ¾ […]
PAN-ROASTED ASPARAGUS
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Pan roasting delivers crisp, evenly browned asparagus spears without the need to turn on the oven. We decided on thicker spears because thin ones overcooked before they browned. To help the asparagus release moisture, which encourages caramelization and better flavor, we parcooked it, covered, with oil and water before browning it. […]
TAGLIATELLE WITH ARTICHOKES AND PARMESAN
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Artichokes and pasta come together in an elegant and ultra flavorful Italian-inspired dish. We trimmed the leaves from the hearts and then gave them a quick soak in water. Drying the hearts promoted deep, nutty browning. Garlic and oregano combined with white wine, olive oil, and Parmesan made a flavorful sauce. […]