You can’t make asparagus any simpler than this.
We love a meal of just asparagus and a simple entrèe or even another vegetable side. This quick & easy asparagus dish makes such a meal a breeze. Just steam the asparagus in a little water until tender, drain, rinse it with cold water and set aside. A couple of minutes before you are ready to serve the meal, reheat the asparagus with a touch of bacon drippings, oil, butter or, one of my favorites, peppered preserved lemon butter and an herb or two.
At the end of this post I provided you with a list of some of my favorites dishes with which I serve this easy and very tasty asparagus.
Blanching asparagus is a very quick way to cook asparagus and maintain a little crunch. Asparagus cooks so fast this way that is only takes a minute or two. If you don’t like the crunch, then cook 1 minute longer.
“*” See Kitchen Notes for more information or links to special ingredients.
- 1 pound asparagus, tough ends snapped off
- 1 tsp. fat of choice (bacon drippings. lemon butter*, or olive oil or garlic roasted olive oil*)
- ¼ tsp. dried tarragon, crumbled*
- Salt and pepper
To quickly blanch the asparagus instead of steaming…
In a skillet large enough for the asparagus to lie flat, add about 1/4 inch of water. Place the skillet over medium heat, cover and bring to boil.
- Add the asparagus, spreading it out across the skillet. Cover.
Bring back to a boil, reduce heat and blanch for 1 to 3 minutes until the asparagus is crisp tender. If you skillet is too small for one layer, after 1 minute, move the spears to transfer the spears on top to the bottom and vice versa. Finish cooking to desired crunch.
- Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Return the skillet back to the heat and add 1 tsp. of fat. Heat until hot.
- Return the asparagus to the skillet. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and tarragon. Toss to coat and heat through for about 1 minute.
- Remove from heat and serve.
Choice of fat – Asparagus really doesn’t need much more than salt and pepper, but for a little extra flavoring, I would suggest either bacon drippings, extra virgin olive oil, garlic infused olive oil, or preserved lemon butter. If you use the butter, then cut back on the salt and pepper.
Suggested complementary dishes to serve with this asparagus dish:
- Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese
- Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Creamy Polenta
- Grilled Flank Steak
- Grilled Soy Ginger Chicken Thighs
- Coconut Rice with Pickled Peppers
- Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
- Preserved Lemon Rice
- Lemony Orzo Salad
Here are a few other asparagus dishes you will enjoy. They all could be served as a side, a salad, or, as with the case of asparagus and chorizo, the main dish.
For more asparagus recipes, check out this Asparagus Recipe Roundup from Simple Living and Eating.
