Yes, asparagus can be expensive, but it’s spring now and fresh asparagus is so good that it is worth it. You can rest easier knowing that pasta is cheap!
Ingredients
- A bunch of fresh organic asparagus
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Balsamic vinegar
- Cooked and cooled pasta (spirals work well)
Method
1. Rinse the asparagus and break off the bottom of the stems. Lay the asparagus on a rimmed baking sheet.
2. Drizzle olive oil over the asparagus and roll them around in it to fully (but lightly) coat them.
3. Sprinkle the asparagus with salt and pepper and roll them around again to make sure they have an even amount on them.
4. Put the baking pan with the asparagus under a broiler on high and watch it like a hawk. In about 2-3 minutes (if the broiler is already hot), you should see some wrinkling on the top and the heads will be getting dark and crispy.
5. Take out the asparagus and turn over each stem. Return it to the oven and continue to watch it like a hawk. Asparagus burn extremely quickly and I’m sure you would prefer not to set off a fire-alarm.
6. When you see the same wrinkling and crisping, take the asparagus from the oven and set to cool. (If you like, you can eat them now just with some balsamic vinegar.)
7. Cut the broiled asparagus into one- or two-inch pieces and toss in a bowl with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Let cool.
8. Add the cold pasta and toss together. Enjoy fresh asparagus as you only can in the spring!