Asparagus Gratin...fancy and Good!
photo by Debi9400
- Ready In:
- 30mins
- Ingredients:
- 10
- Serves:
-
4
ingredients
- 2 lbs asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits
- 1⁄2 cup finely chopped shallot (about 2 large)
- 4 slices firm white bread, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 1⁄4 cup pine nuts (1 1/4 oz)
- 1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 ounces finely grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese (1 cup)
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄2 cup mascarpone cheese
directions
- Butter a 2- to 2 1/2-quart shallow ceramic flameproof baking dish.
- Cook asparagus in a 5- to 6-quart pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.
- Drain in a colander, then transfer to baking dish and keep warm, tightly covered with foil.
- Meanwhile, heat oil and butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat until foam subsides, then cook shallots, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, about 3 minutes.
- Add bread and pine nuts and cook, stirring, until browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and add pepper, 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, tossing to combine.
- Preheat broiler.
- Toss warm asparagus with mascarpone, remaining 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt until combined well.
- Sprinkle bread-crumb mixture evenly over asparagus. Broil 5 to 7 inches from heat until topping is golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes.
Questions & Replies
Got a question?
Share it with the community!
Reviews
-
Made this last season yet forgot to review until now. This is a lovely dish that will impress your guests, yet is simple to prepare. To cut costs (I'm kind of a tightwad!) when cooking for just hubby and myself, I have used cream cheese in place of the mascarpone and regular Parmesan cheese and it was still delicious! Thanks kiwidutch.
-
Oh my, this really was good. Such a nice change from the same old asparagus dish. If you haven't tried it yet, you should. It was so easy to make and flavorful. I followed the recipe exactly. The only differences were that I microwaved my asparagus instead of boiling it and I cut my bread into 1/2 inch cubes - more like croutons. I don't think that changed the overall taste much, if at all. Thanks Kiwi! I will make this one again and again.
Tweaks
-
Made this last season yet forgot to review until now. This is a lovely dish that will impress your guests, yet is simple to prepare. To cut costs (I'm kind of a tightwad!) when cooking for just hubby and myself, I have used cream cheese in place of the mascarpone and regular Parmesan cheese and it was still delicious! Thanks kiwidutch.
-
Oh my, this really was good. Such a nice change from the same old asparagus dish. If you haven't tried it yet, you should. It was so easy to make and flavorful. I followed the recipe exactly. The only differences were that I microwaved my asparagus instead of boiling it and I cut my bread into 1/2 inch cubes - more like croutons. I don't think that changed the overall taste much, if at all. Thanks Kiwi! I will make this one again and again.
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
kiwidutch
Netherlands