In our era of just about any food available at any time for a price, many of us are used to seeing asparagus in our stores year round. But for those of us old enough to remember the days before seasonal eating was trendy (and all that was available), asparagus is the essential springtime vegetable. Thin-stalked, crunchy spears that turn bright, bright green when gently cooked are beautiful to look at and have an indescribably fresh taste. There are so many lovely ways to prepare it—steamed with hollandaise or a bit of lemon butter, chilled with vinaigrette, pureed into a silky soup or chopped and sautéed into pastas and risotto.
Here is another nice way with asparagus that I’ve adapted from a recipe in The Splendid Table’s How to Eat Supper. This would be nice anytime—with any grilled fish or chicken dish, or with an Easter ham or roast.
Roasted Asparagus and Scallions with Mustard Cream Sauce
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
1 pound thin-stalked asparagus
3 bunches scallions root ends and tops trimmed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
And for the sauce:
1 shallot, finely minced
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons coarse dark mustard
5 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Preparation:
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the asparagus and the scallions on the baking sheet and drizzle with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss a bit with clean hands to distribute the oil and the seasonings. Put the sheet in the oven on the lower rack and roast for 8 minutes. Turn with a spatula and roast for an additional 5 minutes or until the vegetables are just beginning to brown a bit.
While the vegetables are roasting, whisk together the shallot, both vinegars, mustard and heavy whipping cream. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
Remove the vegetables from the oven, arrange them on a platter and serve with the dressing alongside.
