• Sautéed asparagus marinated with sage, nettle and wild garlic pesto

    By Shaun Schoeman Serves: 4
    Cooking Time: 50 minutes + 1 – 2 hours, to marinate (optional)

    Ingredients

    • Pesto
    • 2 handfuls fresh nettles (spikes removed)/sweet basil leaves, rinsed
    • 15ml (1 tbsp) garlic, crushed
    • 30ml (2 tbsp) Parmesan, grated
    • 125ml (½ cup) olive oil
    • juice of ½ lemon
    • 15ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
    • 60ml (¼ cup) pine nuts
    • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
    • Asparagus
    • 3 bunches green/white asparagus, rinsed and peeled
    • 75ml extra virgin olive oil
    • 5 sprigs fresh sage, finely chopped
    • 15ml (1 tbsp) garlic, crushed
    • handful wild/button/large black mushrooms, sliced
    • handful fresh peas
    • handful Rosa tomatoes, halved
    • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
    • To serve
    • roasted carrot (optional)
    • cream cheese
    • risotto (click here for the recipe)
    • goat’s cheese bruschetta (top a 2,5cm slice of toasted French bread with creamy goat’s cheese)
    • pelargonium/any edible flowers (optional)

    Instructions

    1

    For the pesto, place the nettles or basil in a food processor or large pestle and mortar together with the garlic, Parmesan, 125ml (½ cup) olive oil and lemon juice and blitz or grind to combine.

    2

    Heat the 15ml (1 tbsp) olive oil in a frying pan over low-medium heat and toast the pine nuts until golden brown. Add the toasted pine nuts to the pesto and blitz or grind until smooth. Season and place in a container covered with a lid or cling film until ready to use. This will keep for 4 – 5 days in the fridge.

    3

    For the asparagus, blanch the asparagus in boiling water for 2 minutes, then refresh in ice water. Remove from the water, place in a bowl, sprinkle with most of the olive oil and add the sage and 5ml (1 tsp) of the crushed garlic. Toss to combine and coat. This can be done 1 – 2 hours in advance and left to marinate.

    4

    Heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and gently sauté the marinated asparagus, 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and peas and cook until the mushrooms are soft. Add the tomatoes and remaining garlic and sauté, 30 seconds – 1 minute.

    5

    Toss the asparagus, mushrooms, peas and tomatoes in the pesto, about 10ml (2 tsp) per serving, to coat. Season to taste.

    6

    To assemble, plate the asparagus and vegetables and serve with a dollop of cream cheese, some risotto and a slice of goat’s cheese bruschetta. Garnish with edible flowers, if desired.

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