Roasted asparagus with basil ‘Hollandaise’ & zesty pangrattato
A delicious variation on a classic of French cuisine
Equipment
- 1 stick blender
- 1 sheet of parchment paper
Ingredients
For the asparagus:
- 400 g white asparagus peeled and woody ends (approx. 2 cm) removed
- 1 ½ tbsp quality extra virgin olive oil
- fine sea salt
- freshly cracked pepper
For the pangrattato:
- 2 slices stale whole-wheat bread with crusts, torn
- 2 tbsp roughly chopped parsley
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tbsp quality extra virgin olive oil
- fine sea salt
- freshly cracked pepper
- 1 pinch of chili flakes
- ½ lemon, it's grated zest unwaxed or organic
For the ‘Hollandaise’
- 100 ml soy milk
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 pinch of fine sea salt
- 1 pinch of turmeric
- 125 ml quality extra virgin olive oil
- 10 basil leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan) and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Place the asparagus on the baking tray, drizzle with the olive oil, and using your hands, make sure all the spears are evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of your asparagus. After about 12 minutes, check the asparagus for doneness.400 g white asparagus, 1 ½ tbsp quality extra virgin olive oil, fine sea salt, freshly cracked pepper
- In the meantime, make the pangrattato. Put the bread, parsley and garlic in a small food processor and blitz until you have a nicely rough but not too chunky consistency.2 slices stale whole-wheat bread, 2 tbsp roughly chopped parsley, 1 clove garlic
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the pangrattato, seasoning it with salt, pepper and chili flakes, for approximately 5 minutes, until golden and crisp.2 tbsp quality extra virgin olive oil, fine sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, 1 pinch of chili flakes
- Take the pan off the heat and stir in the lemon zest. Transfer the pangrattato to a bowl and set aside.½ lemon, it's grated zest
- Now make the basil ‘hollandaise.’ Place the soy milk, vinegar, turmeric mustard and salt in a jug. Slowly start pouring in the oil while using a stick blender to thicken the sauce.100 ml soy milk, 1 tbsp white wine vinegar, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 pinch of fine sea salt, 1 pinch of turmeric
- When you’ve added about half the oil, add the basil. Continue blending until the sauce is emulsified, and taste to adjust the seasoning if necessary.125 ml quality extra virgin olive oil, 10 basil leaves
- Transfer the ‘hollandaise’ to a small saucepan and warm very briefly while whisking. You just want to take the cold out of the sauce, not cook it.
- Serve the roasted asparagus with the basil ‘hollandaise,’ the pangrattato, lemon wedges and steamed new potatoes.
Notes
- Before cooking, white asparagus must be thinly peeled (starting under the tips) and the woody ends (approx. 2 cm) removed. Save the peels and ends to make soup.
- Hollandaise is traditionally served warm, but you can also serve our version cold. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to three days and used as a dip for a crudités platter, as a base for dressings or to serve with baked potatoes.
- Asparagus is best when locally harvested and consumed soon after purchase. To determine freshness, make sure the tips are smooth and the stalks squeak when rubbed together.
Nutrition
Calories: 878.6kcalCarbohydrates: 26.3gProtein: 9.6gFat: 84.6gSaturated Fat: 11.7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9.8gMonounsaturated Fat: 60.3gTrans Fat: 0.01gSodium: 214.9mgPotassium: 595.3mgFiber: 6.6gSugar: 7.4gVitamin A: 2178.6IUVitamin C: 35.4mgCalcium: 174.8mgIron: 6.6mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!