Shaved Asparagus With Arugula and Parmesan Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you shave asparagus? ›

First, trim off the woody ends of each spear by snapping or chopping. Then, holding the spear by the cut end with one hand, use a Y-peeler to slice away from your hand with steady, even pressure.

Asparagus is great quickly stir-fried or sautéed over high heat. You could sauté spears in butter or olive oil with delicious results, but throwing some chopped herbs or sliced chiles into the pan adds wonderful flavor. Both of these methods produce juicy asparagus that retains its crunch.

Some of our best asparagus recipes pair the spears with yolky eggs, salty cheese, or buttery sauces (asparagus covered in hollandaise, anyone?). But grassy-sweet asparagus also shines in the company of bitter lettuces and crunchy vegetables.

Use a kitchen towel to pat the asparagus spears dry before cooking. Another essential factor is the cooking method. Roasting or grilling the asparagus at a higher temperature helps to achieve a crispy texture. These methods allow the moisture to evaporate and the asparagus to develop a delicious char and slight crunch.

Why Peel Asparagus. Peeling asparagus doesn't just make it prettier—it also makes more of the stalk tender and edible. If you have a bit of extra time, it's the best way to prepare asparagus to eat.

Before cooking asparagus, you should at least trim the spears. Many recipes will then call for whole spears of asparagus, while others require sliced or shaved asparagus. In this tutorial, you'll learn how to cut asparagus in different ways, including how much to cut off spears when trimming them.

Try adding shredded, raw asparagus to pasta dishes and salads. Alternatively, enjoy the spears lightly steamed or sautéed in a frittata, or as a stand-alone side dish. Asparagus is a nutritious choice, regardless of whether it's cooked or raw. Try eating a combination of the two for maximum health benefits.

Asparagus develops a rich flavor when roasted, making this one of the most popular ways to eat the vegetable. Wash and trim spears, lightly peel the base of tougher stalks, and pat dry. Place on a baking sheet and mist or drizzle with olive oil, rolling each spear to coat.

Asparagus can be steamed, roasted, grilled, broiled, boiled, blanched, dried or pickled. Combines well with: garlic, lemon juice, nutmeg, honey. Fine herbs: rosemary, basil, dill, marjoram, Mediterranean oregano, thyme, cilantro, etc.

While asparagus is luckily usually found year-round in grocery stores, like most produce, it has a peak season. You will find the best asparagus during spring. Asparagus season usually starts around late February and goes until June, but the peak months are in April and May.

What tastes better thin or thick asparagus? ›

Ferretti says there is little taste difference between thin and thick asparagus spears, but the thinner vegetables can be tougher to chew.

Lignin is not softened by heat, so it remains fibrous and tough after cooking. To eliminate lignin, snap (don't cut) the end of each spear just before cooking. It will break right at the point where the stalk becomes tender. Do this just before cooking so you leave no time for asparagus to accumulate yet more lignin.

So we prefer to snap one stem to find where the woody part stops, and then line up all the rest and slice them at the same point. To make sure this works with all thicknesses of asparagus, we put our method to the test with three generous bunches of asparagus: skinny stalks, medium stalks and thick stalks.