Roasted Asparagus with Orange Walnut Gremolata

Vegetables are so much more exciting when you see how each of them grows. I remember visiting a farm with my parents and being amazed by the way brussels sprouts grow on those long stalks. And I’d thought they only came as little uniform-sized balls, frozen into little square boxes . . . but then again, didn’t all vegetables come frozen in little square boxes?

I actually liked those frozen vegetables of my childhood, but when I discovered what each of them tasted like, fresh from the farm, I was blown away.

Asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables. I love the way they just pop out of the ground with no branches or leaves or fronds; no pretense. It’s like they’re just saying,

Hineini. Here I am.  

The way I most often cook them is simple and delicious—dressed with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, often a touch of garlic (because everything is better with garlic), and popped into the oven for a few minutes until tender-crisp.

This recipe starts with that simple formula, but with the addition of the bright, sunny flavors of orange and herbs mingled with earthy bits of walnut, they’re hoisted to the next level.

This quick gremolata uses five ingredients (plus salt and pepper) and comes together with just a few pulses of the food processor. They could proudly stand alone, or serve as a side for just about any entrée I can think of.

Ingredients:

1 to 2 pounds fresh asparagus (you can use thick or skinny ones, according to your preference and what’s available)

A pinch each of Diamond Crystal kosher salt, pepper, and garlic powder

walnut oil, or olive oil, to dress the stalks

Optional: a pinch of Aleppo pepper for a gentle touch of heat and amazing flavor

For the Gremolata

1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 to 2 tablespoons chopped tarragon

2 garlic cloves, or to taste

the finely grated zest of one organic orange (I use a microplane)

½  teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

a couple grinds of black pepper

½ cup walnut pieces

1 teaspoon walnut oil

 Method:

• Preheat the oven to 375°

  Note: If you have other things in the oven that require a different temperature, no worries. The asparagus will be fine. They will just roast a little faster or slower, accordingly. 

• Trim the asparagus by snapping off the ends. They tend to naturally snap at the spot that separates the tender stalks from the woody part. If they are very thick you might want to peel the stalks (avoiding the tips) with a vegetable peeler, to make them more tender, but this isn’t absolutely necessary.

• Rub them with a bit of walnut oil—enough to dress them without leaving them dripping. Sprinkle them very lightly with salt (kosher, or a specialty salt, work best), pepper, and a touch of the garlic powder. A pinch of Aleppo pepper, which can’t be compared in flavor to any other pepper, is lovely here.

• Lay the asparagus in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast them until they reach your desired level of tenderness. (Some people prefer them soft and others like them to retain a bit of bite.) The time will vary according to their thickness, so start checking them after 10 minutes. You can hold one stalk to the side of the pan as a tester. Take a bite and decide if you want to continue roasting them or if you want to leave them a bit longer.

• While the asparagus are roasting, finely chop all ingredients for the gremolata together, adding the oil last. You can use a heavy knife or a food processor, but be careful to use only the pulse feature, as you don’t want to create a paste.

• Remove the asparagus from the pan and either set them on a serving plate, family style, or arrange some stalks on each dinner plate if you’re plating the meal.

• Sprinkle them with some of the Orange Walnut Gremolata.

Save any remaining gremolata to use on just about anything—meats, fish, or vegetables. 

It will keep for a few days, covered in the fridge.

Did you make it? Was it fabulous?