In only five minutes and with five ingredients you can make this showstopping Tender Spring Asparagus with Lemon Ricotta side dish. This dish is so versatile, you can serve it as the vegetable at an elegant dinner party or as a side dish to go alongside grilled meat on a hot summer day.
When spring comes around one of the first veggies of the season is asparagus. Starting mid-March you will see sales for them at most groceries. This time of the year they are on sale for around .99 per pound making them an excellent value. If you want them in the middle of winter expect to pay up to four times that. If you are really lucky and have a farmers market open near you this time of the year get your asparagus from there. They are guaranteed to be delicious! This recipe is equally delicious served chilled so feel free to serve it as you see fit for your meal. If you want to serve this chilled just plunge the asparagus in an ice bath immediately after cooking to keep the nice green color and stop the cooking process before tossing with the olive oil and salt. To get more use out of this spring veggie check out this Parmesan Roasted Asparagus for more asparagus inspiration.
Recipe Notes for Tender Spring Asparagus with Lemon Ricotta
- To find out where to trim the ends of the asparagus take one firm stalk, hold the woody, hard end with one hand and somewhere between the middle and the other end with your other hand. Where it naturally breaks is a good guide as to where to trim them too. It should be about an inch or so or “waste”, not much longer.
- You can save the ends in a freezer bag for cream of asparagus soup or veggie stock. Allrecipes has a nice recipe for soup here.
- I prefer whole milk or homemade ricotta to skim, but choose what works best for you.
- 1 lemon will be plenty to get the zest you need. Cut up the rest and put in a storage container in the fridge to flavor your water for a few days
- Trader Joe’s has shelled pistachios if you do not want to shell them yourself. At 5.99 a bag they are a steal. You can also find them on Amazon. They are dangerous to have in the pantry though. It makes it way to easy to grab a handful of them!
If you know someone who would enjoy this recipe, please share it on your favorite social media. I love to see your creations, if you make this recipe tag me #tableandachair or @tableandachair so I can check it out! Thank you for your support.
A huge thank you goes out to all of the readers, cooks, food enthusiasts, friends, and keto warriors who support this blog! Come and follow our Facebook page where we post all of our new recipes and ideas!
There are links on this site that are defined as “affiliate links”. This means that I may receive a small commission (at no cost to you) if you happen to purchase something through the links provided.
Table and a Chair is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, audible.com, and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program
Table and a Chair is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, audible.com, and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program
There are links on this site that are defined as “affiliate links”. This means that I may receive a small commission (at no cost to you) if you happen to purchase something through the links provided.
Tender Spring Asparagus with Lemon Ricotta
Ingredients
- 1 pound asparagus trimmed
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup pistachios chopped
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over high heat and add the trimmed asparagus. Add enough water to cover and bring to a simmer, Add a teaspoon of salt. Simmer for 3 minutes until tender. Drain and return to the hot pan add the olive oil and a pinch of salt and toss to coat.
- While the asparagus is simmering mix the ricotta, zest, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Spread the ricotta mixture on a platter. Place the cooked, dressed asparagus over the ricotta and top with the chopped pistachios.
I’m always looking for different ways to cook asparagus as it is one of my favourite vegetables so I was really excited when I came across this recipe. It didn’t disappoint it tasted delicious and I’ll definitely be making it again
This is an absolute must-try recipe. We love asparagus but to put it on top of ricotta cheese just makes this sound amazing. Pinning for later.
This is definitely my kind of side dish! I love the tender asparagus with the zesty ricotta, the perfect spring dish. Will make again!