21 Tasty Asparagus Recipes

Although mousselike sabayon is usually eaten sweetened, as a dessert, it can also be a savory sauce. Thin asparagus are favored for this dish because they’re fun to eat, like skinny fries.

Recipe: Roasted Asparagus with Grapefruit Sabayon

Nettles can cause a very painful reaction if you touch them with your bare hands. You can either grab them with tongs, wear gloves, or slide a plastic bag over your hand when picking them up. Miraculously, however, once they are cooked, the sting is totally gone and what remains is a lovely green, almost spinach-y—a beautiful partner to asparagus.

Recipe: Asparagus, Nettle, and Green Garlic Frittata

In this fresh take on the classic Cobb, a little smoky char adds depth to asparagus and green onions, and the grill turns prosciutto into crisp shards. Choose large asparagus so they won’t fall through the grates.

Recipe: Grilled Asparagus and Prosciutto Cobb Salad

The secret ingredient to this recipe is patience. By letting the meat brown slowly with minimal stirring, you get a crisp texture and caramelized flavor on each piece.

Recipe: Sichuan Steak and Asparagus

Any sliced vegetable can be turned into tempura, but sweet asparagus at the height of spring is hard to top. Folding fluffy egg whites into the batter gives this coating its delicate crispness.

Recipe: Asparagus Tempura

Crisp-tipped, juicy, and tender, these spears are great with lamb or fish. Opt for fat asparagus—the spears will be tender but not mushy when the tips are crisp. Lemon zest, versus juice, gives a lot of flavor without too much acidity or moisture.

Recipe: Grilled Asparagus with Lemon

Here’s a quick way to cook asparagus with flavorful results. If you’re making roast chicken, you can throw this in the oven in the last 20 minutes and have both ready at the same time.

Recipe: Roasted Asparagus

This works as a side dish or a gourmet appetizer. You can spoon the sauce over each bundle, or you can serve it on the side as shown for dipping.

Recipe: Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus

This simple side dish is a great contribution to a potluck. We suggest you keep the dressing separate until ready to serve.

Recipe: Cherry Tomato and Asparagus Salad

Who says risotto has to take a long time? This satisfying dish can be made in 30 minutes and works as a simple week night dinner or a decadent meal for serving to guests.

Recipe: Asparagus Risotto

It could be breakfast or it could be lunch, but either way it’s absolutely delicious. We love it with thinly sliced prosciutto, but crisp bacon would be good, too.

Recipe: Parmesan Toasts with Asparagus, Prosciutto, and Eggs

If you’d prefer a lighter version of this indulgent pasta recipe, you could use milk thickened with a little flour in place of the cream.

Recipe: Prosciutto and Asparagus Pasta

If you don’t have a rectangular tart pan, you can use a 9-in. round tart pan instead; don’t roll out the dough (just use it straight from the package), and cut the asparagus stalks to fit.

Recipe: Asparagus and Teleme Tart

Forget chicken noodle. This fast and fresh version of Asian comfort food will warm you from head to toe.

Recipe: Chinese Pork and Asparagus Soup

Asparagus and mini-mozzarella cheese are center stage in this spring salad. Pair with a crisp pinot grigio and a light pasta for a complete dinner.

Recipe: Asparagus and Butterhead Lettuce Salad

Eggs-made-easy is a good way to describe a frittata. We’ve added nutty cheese and fresh asparagus to guarantee its overall appeal.

Recipe: Asparagus Frittata

This a good recipe to have on file when you need to take something to a party, but the boring pasta salad just won’t do.

Recipe: Orzo with Peppers and Asparagus

This risotto is a lot more lemony than you might expect, so get ready for some bracing tang along with the rich cheeses.

Recipe: Lemon Ricotta Risotto with Asparagus, Peas, and Prosciutto

Sunflower sprouts are large, leafy, and lovely in our spring version of a traditional garden salad. A large piece of local goat cheese adds just the right amount of creaminess, so you’ll forget it’s healthy.

Recipe: Sunflower Sprouts Salad

An updated version of a fattoush using purchased pita chips in place of crunchy croutons and seasonal asparagus, which gives a fresh-from-the-garden touch.

Recipe: Grilled Chicken Pita Salad

Sweet asparagus and spring onions go so well with the woodsy flavor of morels. All you need is a bit of butter and some crème fraîche to finish the dish.

Recipe: Asparagus, Spring Onion, and Morel Mushroom Sauté