Absurdly Addictive Asparagus
Kaykay has you cut the pancetta into 3/8 inch cubes. We like precision.
Amanda's great technique for cleaning leeks: slice them first, and then wash them. Brilliant!
Careful not to burn your pignoli!
Amanda had to step out for a couple of hours, so Merrill and Kristen forged ahead on their own.
The recipe calls for both lemon and orange zest. Yummy.
We're still on the fence about snapping vs. cutting for removing the woody ends of asparagus. Some times you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't.
Asparagus looks especially attractive when cut on the bias.
At the stove, the pancetta crisps for a few minutes and starts to release some of its fat.
A knob of butter, and then in goes the asparagus.
A shower of leeks follows.
You cook the veggies for a mere couple of minutes -- until the asparagus is just barely tender.
The duo of zests and the garlic go in at the very end, lightly perfuming the veggies.
A smattering of parsley, a handful of pinenuts, and this dish is done!
Author Notes: I guess there's a reason Vosges Haut-chocolat Bacon and Chocolate bars are growing in popularity...it just seems that when you add bacon to almost anything, the salty smokiness heightens the other ingredients. Bacon may rule, but its Italian cousin, Pancetta, is also a contender for the crown. Take a garden fresh ingredient like asparagus and pair it with pancetta and you instantly get Snap, Crackle, Crisp all in one bite. There's something about the bite-size pieces of tender crisp asparagus, buttery leeks, crackly pancetta, and delicately crunchy pinenuts that make it somehow hard for me to stop eating this easy to prepare dish. I tried adding Parmigiano Reggiano at the end, but it overpowered the citrus. After testing the delectable sugar cookie finalist recipes with MonkeyMom tonight, I have to wonder if the number 52 will be even more symbolic when it represents the number of pounds we've gained by the end of the year. Apparently, Asparagus isn't the only thing I'm addicted to— Food52 is rapidly becoming a habit, too. (Sorry for the lack of a photo— the camera is out of commission this week...) —kaykay
Food52 Review: The title pretty much says it all. With her recipe, kaykay takes an already promising set of ingredients and artfully combines them in such a way that the resulting dish exceeds the sum of its parts. 2-inch lengths of asparagus, crisp-tender to the bite, take center stage in a savory tangle of leeks, pancetta, garlic, orange zest, parsley and pine nuts. The rendered fat from the pancetta, along with a knob of butter, is just enough to keep the vegetables from being dry without smothering the fresh flavors. The recipe is supposed to serve 4, but we could easily imagine polishing off an entire pan by ourselves. - A&M —The Editors
Serves 4
- 4 ounces pancetta, cut into 3/8 inch to 1/4 inch dice
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 pound asparagus, woody ends trimmed and sliced into 2 inch pieces on the bias
- 1 1/4 cups leek, thinly sliced crosswise (white and pale green parts only)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Zest of one lemon
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
- 1-2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- In a large non-stick pan, sauté pancetta, stirring frequently, over medium heat, until crisp and lightly golden.
- Add 1 tablespoon of butter to pan. Add asparagus pieces and leek and sauté until asparagus is tender crisp, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add garlic, lemon and orange zest, toasted pine nuts and parsley and sauté for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Season to taste with freshly ground pepper and salt and serve immediately.
- Your Best Asparagus Recipe Contest Winner!
More Great Recipes: Asparagus|Vegetables|Side Dishes
about 2 months ago Curlytexan
Definitely not a family favorite with my crew. The orange zest overpowered the dish.
2 months ago Curlytexan
Not bad, but not sure I would make it again. I didn't care for the orange zest in the dish. Maybe I had a particularly flavorful orange, but it really stood out. I would consider making it again, but without the orange and I would top it with shaved Parmesan.
5 months ago Geneva Rubio
Interesting recipe. I'll for sure try it.
6 months ago Betsy
I found this quite heavy and indifferent.
7 months ago Alicia Avila
This is by far one of my favorite veggie recipes. I LOVE it! I've even made it using brussel sprouts and it tastes awesome.
10 months ago Susan
I made this last night and it was amazing. I honestly could not taste the pine nuts. Not sure if I will add them next time.
10 months ago Bob
I'm happy for this new recipe.
10 months ago kesypesy
Tomorrow I try this recipe.
10 months ago hilbil
This dish is my favorite.
10 months ago John
Sounds fantastic this asparagus.
11 months ago Chef Devaux
Addicted.
12 months ago Dylan Mierzwinski
This was so wonderful (all ninety times I've made it). I don't change a thing, this is my go-to "impress others" dish. And let's be real..my "impress myself" dish.
about 1 year ago Cheri Mayell
This looks special tapping the screen to see each picture, the dish was revealed with a dash of this a spritz of perfume,
it was like going out to dinner all dressed up!
about 1 year ago Food Lover
Awesome!
over 1 year ago Dana
LOVE this dish. We made it once with pancetta and once with prosciutto and my husband and I slightly prefer the prosciutto. We also made it with green beans instead of asparagus and the dish was equally delicious. My picky 10 year old said he thought it was "pretty good," which means this dish is a winner all the way around.
over 1 year ago Bec
Sounds amazing!! Simple but a different flavour combination than I'd think of.
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over 1 year ago Christie
This recipe is one of my favorites ever. I have substituted shaved brussel sprouts for the asparagus before and that is really yummy too. I prefer slivered almonds over pine nuts, the crunch is better.
over 1 year ago Andrea
Made this tonight and was pleased. While the sum of the parts was good and will definitely be repeated, I was quite taken by the pancetta-leek-pine nut mixture. I'm planning to use it with other veggies and other dishes.
over 1 year ago allans
I made this once and thought it was just okay. Its worth trying again, though.
over 1 year ago FeedingTheKids
I whipped this up in about 40 minutes start to finish, even WITH peeling the asparagus and doubling the recipe. The only change I made was to cook the leeks down a bit before adding asparagus. This was a show-stealer for the Easter brunch feast! Made the leftovers into a frittata....quite perfect