Roasted Asparagus With Pesto Crème Fraiche Recipes

ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH PESTO CRèME FRAICHE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F.
• Place the asparagus in a baking pan. Don't worry about finding a pan large enough to hold the asparagus in one layer - the stalks can overlap a bit. Drizzle the olive oil over them and toss gently to coat the asparagus evenly. Sprinkle on the salt, and toss again.
• Roast the asparagus for 8 to 10 minutes for thin stalks, 10 to 14 for thick ones. If they overlap, just give them a little shuffle with a spatula halfway through the cooking time so they all have a chance to brown a bit. Remember that they will continue to cook a bit after you remove them from the oven, so take them out while they're still a little firmer than you would like.
• While the asparagus are roasting, blend together the crème fraiche with the pesto, taste and see if it needs additional salt and pepper. (Remembering that you seasoned the asparagus.)
• When the asparagus are cooked you can either drip over the thick creamy sauce, or you can transfer it to a small plastic bag, snip off a little corner of the bag and squeeze out the sauce over the asparagus. Serve just like that, sprinkled with lemon zest, or toss the asparagus so that it is coated with the sauce, and then sprinkle the lemon zest over.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH PESTO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Mix pesto with garlic and oil and toss with asparagus on a baking sheet.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Roast in a preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until done to your.
• liking.
• Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese and serve hot.

ASPARAGUS BISQUE WITH CURRY AND CRèME FRAîCHE

Steps:

• Bring 4 1/2 cups water, sliced leeks, and 3/4 teaspoon curry powder to boil in medium pot over medium-high heat. Boil 5 minutes. Add asparagus. Reduce heat to medium; cover and simmer until asparagus is tender, about 15 minutes. Cool slightly. Set aside 2 tablespoons crème fraîche; stir remaining crème fraîche, 4 tablespoons chopped dill, and 3/4 teaspoon curry powder into soup. Puree in batches in blender until smooth. Strain soup into large bowl. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until cold, about 4 hours, or up to 1 day.
• Divide chilled asparagus bisque among 6 bowls. Top each with 1 teaspoon crème fraîche. Sprinkle with remaining chopped fresh dill and whole pink peppercorns, if desired.