Prosciutto wrapped Asparagus with Shallot and Rice Wine Beurre Blanc

Recipe from Kitchen on Fire

1 bunch Thin Asparagus, trimmed into 3 inch pieces
6-10 slices Prosciutto
Olive Oil for drizzling

6-7 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
3 tbsp Shallot, minced
¾ cup Butter, cubed & chilled
to taste Salt & Pepper

Preheat the oven to 400˚.

Toss the asparagus with a good drizzle of olive oil & place into 3-5 piece bundles. Wrap each with a ¼ piece (or ½ piece) of prosciutto & place onto an oiled sheet tray into the oven for about 15 minutes; until the prosciutto is crispy & the asparagus is tender.

In a sauce pan on med-high heat, add the vinegar & shallot; reduce the liquid until almost dry. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in the butter a few cubes at a time (you want the butter to melt & without separating to butter fat & foam). Move back to the heat as necessary. Whisk until all butter is melted & smooth. Season with salt & pepper; serve with the asparagus.

Fettuccine With Asparagus

1 1/2 pounds of asparagus
12 ounces fettucine
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 garlic clove, minced
3 shallots, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
Course salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Trim the tough ends of the stalks from the asparagus. With a vegetable peeler, pare away any tough skin from the lower half of the stalks. Rinse the asparagus in cold water.

Either cook the asparagus in a steamer or tie in a bundle standing in two inches of water. Cook, covered, until tender but firm. Drain and, when cool enough to handle, cut the stalks into three-quarter-inch pieces. Meanwhile, bring water to boil for the fettuccine.

Melt the butter in a large frying pan. Add the garlic and the shallots and saute for one minute. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Cook for several minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. Season with salt and pepper. Add the asparagus and keep warm until the fettuccine is cooked.

Cook the fettuccine until al dente, drain, and transfer to a heated serving bowl. Add the sauce, toss, and serve. Pass the cheese separately.

Note: I used whole grain vegan pasta and substituted the heavy cream with fat free half-and-half.

Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan

Recipe by Mark Bittman in The Minimalist Entertains

1 thick slice good bread
1 small chunk Parmigiano-Reggiano, about 1 ounce
1 1/2 pounds thin asparagus, more or less
3 tablespoons butter, extra virgin olive oil, or a combination
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat oven to 500 degrees; while it heats, put bread in, and check frequently until it is lightly toasted and dry. Coarsely grind or grate bread and cheese together (a small food processor is best), and keep crumbs larger than commercial bread crumbs.

Rinse asparagus, and break off woody bottoms. Lay stalks in a baking dish that will hold them in two or three layers. Toss with bits of butter or the oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place in oven.

Roast 5 minutes, then shake dish to redistribute butter or oil. Roast 5 minutes more, then test for doneness by piercing a spear with point of a sharp knife; it should slide in but meet a little resistance. (Up to this point, the recipe can be made as much as two hours before serving; just leave asparagus at room temperature).

Turn on broiler and place rack as close as possible to heating element. Top asparagus with cheese-crumb mixture and run under broiler to brown, a minute or two. Serve hot or at room temperature.

This recipe is easily varied. For instance, forget the topping and toss the spears with 1 tablespoon of minced garlic when you add the oil, then roast. Skip the broiler step. For roast asparagus with soy and sesame, use 1 tablespoon peanut oil instead of olive oil or butter. Halfway through roasting, add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce to the asparagus, toss gently and finish roasting. When the spears are cooked, top with about 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds and run under the broiler until they pop, about 1 minute. Finish with a teaspoon or two of soy sauce.

Asparagus Gruyere Tart

Recipe from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food

Flour, for work surface
1 sheet frozen puff pastry
5 1/2 ounces (2 cups) Gruyere cheese, shredded
1 1/2 pounds medium or thick asparagus
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a 16-by-10-inch rectangle. Trim uneven edges. Place pastry on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife, lightly score pastry dough 1 inch in from the edges to mark a rectangle. Using a fork, pierce dough inside the markings at 1/2-inch intervals. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.

Remove pastry shell from oven, and sprinkle with Gruyere. Trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears to fit crosswise inside the tart shell; arrange in a single layer over Gruyere, alternating ends and tips. Brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until spears are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.