Recipes with asparagus, good for diets and natural diuretics

Asparagus are typical spring vegetables, so we find them fresh in April, May and June. They are ideal for those on a diet and therefore in time for the swimming costume test. They are also natural diuretics and body cleansers.

They have very few calories, about 25 per 100 grams, and are rich in fibre, vitamins, calcium, phosphorus and potassium. The only contraindications are for those suffering from kidney disorders, cystitis, and kidney stones, as they contain uric acid that can increase already existing infections.

Wild asparagus can also be found, which is much tastier than cultivated asparagus and also much more nutritious. They can be found in uncultivated meadows, clearings and forests up to an altitude of 1300 metres.

They are widespread in central-southern Italy, but can be found almost everywhere in Italy with the exception of Piedmont, Val d'Aosta and Trentino Alto Adige. But let us now move on to the recipes, which are really many and very good.

First of all, generally for almost all recipes, the asparagus must first be boiled and then after cleaning them by removing the white part, which is woody, they must be washed, trimmed and tied with a net thread.

They should be cooked in a rather high and narrow pot with salted water, which should not reach the tips and should be cooked about 10 minutes, so very al dente. Once untied, they are ready to be used in our recipes.

Asparagus with hard-boiled eggs

Ingredients for asparagus with hard-boiled eggs

• 1 kg asparagus
• 6 hard-boiled eggs
• about a decilitre of olive oil
• vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation of asparagus with boiled eggs

After cleaning and boiling the asparagus, cooking it for about 15 minutes, prepare the sauce by whisking the seed oil with a dash of vinegar and a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper. Arrange the asparagus on a serving plate, sprinkle the tips with the oil and vinegar sauce and serve accompanied by the hard-boiled eggs, each divided into 4 parts.

Asparagus omelette

This preparation can be used both as an appetiser and as a side dish for the main course.

Ingredients for the asparagus omelette

• 1 kg asparagus
• 8 eggs
• 50 g grated pecorino cheese
• a bunch of chopped parsley
• olive oil, salt and pepper to taste

Preparation of the asparagus omelette

After cleaning and boiling the asparagus, as explained at the beginning of the article, roughly chop it and add it to the beaten eggs with cheese and chopped parsley. Adjust the salt and pepper. Pour the mixture into a frying pan with a drizzle of oil and cook the omelette until the eggs are perfectly set, turning it at least once. Serve hot.

Let us now move on to the first courses.

Risotto with asparagus

Ingredients for risotto with asparagus

• 350 g asparagus, already cleaned, cut and boiled
• 400 g rice
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 30 g butter
• half a glass of dry white wine
• 1 litre of hot vegetable stock
• two tablespoons chopped parsley
• olive oil, salt and pepper to taste

For creaming

• grams 80 of butter
• grams 100 of grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation of risotto with asparagus

Once the asparagus has been prepared as recommended, cut off the tips leaving them whole and cut the edible part into rounds of about 1 centimetre. In a fairly large saucepan, brown the onion in a little olive oil and butter. When the onion has wilted, add the asparagus slices.

Add the rice and toast it slightly. Pour in the white wine and when it has evaporated, add small amounts of very hot stock until the rice is cooked. When cooked, add the butter and Parmesan cheese. Stir well and serve very hot, sprinkling with chopped parsley and asparagus tips.

Carbonara monferrina with asparagus

Ingredients for the Carbonara monferrina with asparagus

• grams 500 of egg noodles
• grams 250 asparagus, already cleaned and boiled
• grams 100 diced smoked bacon
• 2 eggs
• 30 g butter
• 1 clove of garlic
• 50 centilitres of cooking cream
• grams 60 of parmesan cheese
• grams 50 of toma or ricotta cheese
• olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation of Carbonara monferrina with asparagus

Prepare the asparagus, cleaned and boiled, then cut off the tips and keep them aside and cut the soft part of the stalk into small rounds. In a saucepan, put 3 tablespoons of olive oil with the butter and the crushed clove of garlic (this should be removed once cooked).

When the garlic is golden brown add the diced smoked bacon and as soon as the bacon is browned add the asparagus stalks and cook for about 10 minutes covered, adding a little cooking water to the pasta if necessary.

Adjust the salt and pepper. Now prepare the sauce by melting the toma or ricotta cheese together with the cream. Separately beat the eggs, add the grated cheese and freshly ground pepper.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of salted water. Once drained, place the pasta in the saucepan with the bacon and asparagus, keeping it on a low heat. Add the toma and cream sauce, the asparagus tips and stir well to mix all the ingredients. Remove from the heat and add the eggs and cheese. Serve hot.

Asparagus Florentine style

Ingredients required for asparagus Florentine style

• kilograms 1 of asparagus, already cleaned and boiled
• 30 g butter
• two or three tablespoons of oil
• 6 whole eggs
• Parmesan cheese flakes, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste

Preparation of Florentine-style asparagus

In a fairly large saucepan, melt the butter with the oil. Add the asparagus left whole, season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add the eggs left whole, trying not to break the yolk.

Salt and pepper only the yolk of the eggs and try to cook the egg white between the asparagus. Turn down the heat, and covered let it cook for a couple of minutes, until the white of the egg has solidified. Serve very hot with a few slivers of Parmesan cheese.

Savoury pie with asparagus

Needed for the savoury pie with asparagus

• 1 sheet of ready-made puff pastry or brisee (can be found in all supermarkets)
• grams 250 of asparagus, already cleaned, cut and boiled
• grams 300 of ricotta cheese (you can also use other types of cheese such as gorgonzola or spreadable cheese)
• 2 eggs
• grams 50 of grated Parmesan cheese
• olive oil, salt and pepper to taste
• a pinch of nutmeg.

Preparation of the savoury pie with asparagus

Break the eggs in a bowl, add the ricotta and Parmesan cheese and mix well. Adjust salt and pepper, nutmeg and two to three tablespoons of olive oil. Add the asparagus cut into small pieces to the sauce and mix well.

In a baking tin lined with baking paper, place the sheet of puff or brisee pastry, roll it out well, leaving it high at the edges, so that once the filling has been placed, it remains higher. Put the filling in, level it out and place in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 30 minutes. The savoury asparagus cake is good both hot and cold and can also be eaten the next day.

Asparagus lasagne

What you need for the asparagus lasagne

• grams 250 of egg pasta in sheets of about 20 centimetres by 15 centimetres (can be found ready-made in all supermarkets)
• grams 350 or so of asparagus, cleaned, cut and boiled, then cut into small pieces
• grams 500 of ready-made béchamel sauce
• grams 100 of grated Parmesan cheese.

Preparing the asparagus lasagne

In a buttered baking dish, place a couple of tablespoons of béchamel sauce, on top place the sheet of pasta which must cover the surface perfectly, season with asparagus and more béchamel sauce, spreading it all over the surface, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Continue as described until the ingredients are finished. On the last layer put plenty of grated Parmesan cheese. Place in a preheated oven at 200 degrees for about 30 minutes, until a golden crust forms on the surface. Serve hot. A very tasty variation to this lasagne is to include diced cooked ham and mozzarella pieces in the layers.