BASIC PREPARATION
Cut the final part only if it is woody. With the potato peeler, “peel” the stem by removing the surface peel, usually from the middle down, leaving the first half intact, there is no need to sink too deep with the
peeler.CLASSIC COOKING: Tie the asparagus in bunches with string, place them in a tall, tight pot with cold water, the tips out of the water will cook with steam. Boil for 20 min.
FAST COOKING: In a large saucepan, boil a liter of water with 1 tablespoon of salt. Place the asparagus spread out and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off the stove. Take them out gently, place them on the serving plate, season them with a little oil, possibly with pepper, and keep them over the pot warm until they are brought to the table.
Of course, you can cook them in STEAM or in a PAN with butter or oil. They can be eaten RAW, thinly cut and seasoned, for example, with oil, lemon, salt, pine nuts and
mint leaves.
SPRING TAGLIATELLE
INSTEAD OF TAGLIATELLE, you can season any boiled cereal by adding it to the vegetable preparation and cooking together for a few minutes.
SALTY ASPARAGUS TART
Salty pastry:
- 150 gr. whole spelt flour;
- 150 gr. type “0" flour; - 80 gr. extra virgin olive oil;
- ½ cup of warm water;
- a pinch of salt.
Filling:
- 500 gr. of green asparagus;
- 300 gr. of ricotta; - n.3 eggs;
- 3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese;
- pepper to taste.
1. Prepare the savory pastry
Place the flour in a fountain on a bowl, add the oil and a pinch of salt. Work everything with your hands, gradually adding cold water until you get a compact and velvety dough. Wrap it up and let it rest in the fridge for at least an hour: just enough time to relax the gluten and make it perfect to
2. Creamy but waste-free filling
Clean the asparagus, cut it into fine slices and keep the tips aside for decoration. Do not remove the bottom of the stems: peel them with a peeler to remove the more fibrous outer part and reuse them in the filling. In a bowl, mix the ricotta with the beaten eggs, Parmesan cheese and flavors. Add the asparagus and mix well.
3. Roll out and fill
Spread the pastry in an oiled pan, making the dough adhere well to the bottom and edges. Pour in the filling, level the surface and carefully arrange the asparagus tips to decorate your cake as you like.
4. Bake and enjoy
Bake in a static oven at 170°C for about 30 minutes, until golden brown. Serve it warm or cold: it's also great the next day.
It can be kept in the fridge for 2-3 days. A versatile idea, to be customized with other seasonal vegetables or fresh aromatic herbs such as thyme or marjoram.