Asparagus: Spear Some Quick!

By: Julie Blakley | May 13 2010
Posted in Portland - Cook It - Portland

Every spring as the trees start to blossom and skies start to clear in Portland, beautiful green asparagus starts showing up. By the end of April, asparagus season is usually in full swing in Oregon and the green-tipped veggies crowd grocery store shelves and farmer’s markets.

This time of year the asparagus is so succulent, I could probably eat it every single day. Especially because I enjoy asparagus cooked a wide variety of ways—grilled, roasted, broiled, steamed and blanched—I feel like it would take months before I got sick of this veggie.

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Growing up, I almost always ate asparagus the French way—steamed and served as an appetizer with vinaigrette. Even as a kid, I enjoyed dipping the tips of asparagus into oil and vinegar and eating them up. As an adult, I’ve learned a wide variety of ways to enjoy the vegetable—as a part of pasta dishes, in stir fry or by itself. I have even managed to turn my former asparagus-disliking boyfriend to eagerly eat up the veggie.

The other night, I made a to-die-for roasted asparagus and goat cheese dish. The tanginess of the goat cheese pairs superbly with the earthiness of the asparagus. Below is a recipe that’s been adapted from Martha Stuart’s Fresh Flavors Fast (try saying that 3 times fast!) cookbook:

Roasted Asparagus and Goat Cheese Pasta

1 pound asparagus, tough ends removed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Salt and freshly ground pepper

8 ounces dried short pasta

1 small onion, chopped

4 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 to 3 tablespoons snipped fresh chives or parsley

1. Preaheat oven to 450°. Place asparagus on a large rimmed baking sheet; drizzle with olive oil. Roast until tender, tossing occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cut into 2 inch lengths.

2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil; add a generous amount of salt. Cook pasta until al dente according to package instructions.

Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, drain pasta.

3. Heat a sauté pan over medium heat with the butter. When hot, add the onions and sauté until the onions are soft and beginning to caramelize, about two minutes. Whisk in the goat cheese, ground nutmeg and the reserved pasta water and cook until the goat cheese has melted. Toss in the cooked pasta and the asparagus. Taste and season with additional salt if needed. Garnish with fresh chives or parsley.