A weekend gourmet feast

Whip up some luscious pasta, creamy risotto and wholesome salads, laced with the nutrient-rich asparagus to spice up your weekend dinner.

White Asparagus Salad

Ingredients: Around 60 gm of baby spinach; 60 gm of mixed lettuce; 100 gm of asparagus; 30 gm of dried raspberries; 20 gm of cherry tomato; 20 gm of mustard sesame vinaigrette; 30 gm of boiled quinoa; 30 gm of toasted almond flakes; 50 gm of carrots (julienned); salt and pepper to taste.

Method: Blanch the asparagus and set it aside. Put all the ingredients, including the spinach, quinoa and cherry tomatoes, and the white asparagus shoot in a mixing bowl. Add the dressing vinaigrette, salt and pepper. Toss and set it on the plate. Add the almonds flakes and dried raspberries on top of the salad just before serving.

Green Asparagus Risotto

Ingredients: Around 80 gm of risotto rice; 20 gm of butter; 10 gm of minced garlic; 20 gm of minced onion; 10 ml of white wine; 250 ml of vegetable stock; 60 gm of green asparagus; 5 gm of thyme (chopped); 30 gm of butter; 30 gm of parmesan cheese (grated); salt and pepper to taste.

Method: In a small pan, heat the olive oil and add thyme, onions and minced garlic. Stir gently till the onion turns translucent. Add the rice and stir for 5 minutes. Add the white wine and stir for 2 minutes till the alcohol evaporates. Add the vegetable stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the asparagus and cook for 8 more minutes. Take it off the stove and add the butter. Stir quickly to make an emulsion. Serve hot.

Linguine Con Crema

Ingredients: Around 500 gm of wild asparagus; 400 gm of linguine pasta; one chopped onion; 15 gm of olive oil; 250 ml of vegetable stock; 2 tsps of curry powder; 50 gm of
parmesan cheese; 10 gm of butter; 100 ml of cream; 6 garlic cloves (sliced); 50 gm of diced tomatoes; salt and pepper to taste.

Method: Heat some butter in a pan, add the onion and asparagus. Sweat them well, add the vegetable stock and cook until the asparagus softens. Take it off the heat, purée it and set it aside. Bring the water to boil, add the salt and then cook the linguine pasta for 10 minutes. In a pan, sweat the garlic in some olive oil and then add the tomatoes,
vegetable stock and cook for 3 minutes. Add the curry powder and cream, and then let it reduce slightly. Once the pasta is cooked, toss it in the curry sauce. Arrange the pasta on the plate and sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top.

(The author is chef de cuisine at ALBA, JW Marriott Bengaluru)