Asparagus Sformato Recipes

PARMIGIANO SFORMATO WITH PIQUILLO PEPPERS AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Spray the ramekins or disposable aluminum cups with nonstick spray.
• To a medium bowl, add the heavy cream, eggs and Parmigiano and whisk to combine. Season with salt and cayenne. Divide the egg, cream, cheese mixture between the ramekins. Place the filled ramekins in a baking dish and fill halfway with hot tap water. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on racks.
• Place the cooled sformato in a warm oven for 10 minutes to reheat.
• While the sformato is reheating toss the peppers and almonds with the greens and a sprinkle of oil, vinegar and salt. Arrange some of the pepper mixture on individual serving plates. Unmold the sformati on the serving plate and arrange the peppers against the sformato. Drizzle with olive oil.

ASPARAGUS AND PARMESAN PUDDINGS

Steps:

• Butter eight 3/4-cup custard cups or soufflé dishes. Coat with breadcrumbs. Cut off asparagus tips. Cook tips in large saucepan of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain; reserve tips and 1 cup cooking liquid. Coarsely chop asparagus stalks.
• Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion; sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Add stalks; sauté until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add reserved asparagus cooking liquid. Cover; simmer until stalks are tender, about 12 minutes.
• Uncover; cook until liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Transfer to food processor; puree. Add Parmesan, ricotta and flour. Using on/off turns, process just until blended. Season with salt and pepper.
• Whisk eggs in bowl to blend. Add asparagus puree; whisk to blend. Stir in all but 16 asparagus tips. Divide custard among cups. Place cups in roasting pan. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover; chill puddings and remaining asparagus tips.)
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour hot water into pan to come 1 inch up sides of cups. Bake puddings until set, about 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Invert onto plates. Garnish with asparagus tips.

ASPARAGUS WRAPPED IN CRISP PROSCIUTTO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and coat with olive oil.
• Wrap one slice of prosciutto around each asparagus spear, starting at the bottom, and spiraling up to the tip. Place the wrapped spears on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake for 5 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove, and shake the pan back and forth to roll the spears over. Return to the oven for another 5 minutes, or until asparagus is tender, and prosciutto is crisp. Serve immediately.

ASPARAGUS GRUYERE TART

Steps:

• 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.

FETTUCCINE WITH ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
• Cut off tough ends of asparagus spears. Cut each on the bias into 1-inch lengths. There should be about 1 1/2 cups. Rinse well and drain.
• Add the asparagus to the boiling water and cook about 2 minutes. Remove asparagus with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Drop the fettuccine into salted boiling water. Let cook to desired degree of doneness (cooking time will range from about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes for fresh pasta to 9 minutes or more for dried). Reserve 2 tablespoons cooking water. Drain the pasta.
• Heat the butter in the pot in which the pasta was cooked. Add the asparagus pieces and the fettuccine. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add the reserved 2 tablespoons of cooking water and basil. Toss to blend. Serve hot with Parmesan cheese on the side.

ASPARAGUS SFORMATO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread asparagus out in one layer. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; mix.
• Bake in the preheated oven until asparagus is tender, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, saute pancetta in a skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Remove asparagus from the oven. Cut off asparagus tips and set aside. Puree asparagus stalks in a blender.
• Reduce oven temperature to 315 degrees F (160 degrees C). Grease a loaf pan with butter and sprinkle with 1/2 tablespoon Parmesan cheese.
• Beat eggs with an electric mixer until foamy, 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully fold in milk, remaining Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Fold in pureed asparagus. Pour mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Place asparagus tips on top in a decorative pattern.
• Bake in the preheated oven until sformato is lightly browned and starts to pull away from the edges, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven, cool for a few minutes, and serve.

ASPARAGUS STRATA

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add asparagus; boil, uncovered, for 3 minutes. Drain and immediately place asparagus in ice water. Drain and pat dry., In a large bowl, combine the asparagus, milk, bread cubes, eggs, cheese and salt. Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for 5 hours or overnight., Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45-55 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

ASPARAGUS FLAN WITH CHEESE SAUCE

Steps:

• Make flan:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325°F. Butter an 8- by 2-inch round cake pan and line bottom with a round of wax paper, then butter paper. 3Steam asparagus in a steamer set over boiling water, covered, until very tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Purée asparagus in a food processor until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. (You will have about 2 cups purée.)
• Whisk together eggs, milk, cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a bowl, then whisk in asparagus purée.
• Pour asparagus mixture into pan and bake in a hot water bath until flan is set and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center comes out clean, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
• Transfer pan to a rack to cool slightly, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Make sauce while flan cools:
• Put all sauce ingredients in a metal bowl, then set bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Heat sauce, whisking until cheese and butter are melted, and then stirring with a wooden spoon, until sauce is slightly thickened and registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove bowl from pan.
• Run a thin knife around edge of flan to loosen, then invert a serving plate over pan and invert flan onto plate. Remove pan and discard paper. Cut flan into wedges and serve immediately with sauce.

SAVORY ASPARAGUS STRATA

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add asparagus, mushrooms, garlic salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook and stir 3-4 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender., Place half of the bread cubes in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Top with asparagus mixture, goat cheese and remaining bread., In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, thyme, salt and remaining pepper. Pour over top; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Refrigerate, covered, overnight., Preheat oven to 350°. Remove strata from refrigerator while oven heats. Bake, uncovered, 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving. Meanwhile, prepare sauce mix according to package directions. Serve with strata.