Perfect early spring recipe – Polenta with roasted asparagus

Spring is almost here and so is one of the earliest spring crops – asparagus. 🌱 These tender stalks are one of the most versatile ingredients that you can enjoy raw, cooked or baked, and fit perfectly into numerous dishes, from soups, to pasta meals, and salads. Today we are having it as a main course that will delight your taste buds. 🤤

Quick intro – did you know?

• Asparagus is low in calories, yet a great source of nutrients, including fiber, folate, iron, potassium, calcium, protein, antioxidants, and vitamins A, C, E and K.
• It has a long list of health and nutritional benefits. It can help with weight loss, lower blood pressure, help prevent urinary tract infections, promote reproductive health and boost our mood.
• Polenta has roots in the Italian peasant cuisine. It’s made by grinding corn into flour and has a slightly sweet flavor. In the past, it was known as a “poor man’s dish”, since it was filling yet cost little money to make. Today, it is still often eaten from a large platter or wooden board so guests can serve themselves at the table.
• Polenta is gluten-free and a good source of antioxidants.

Ingredients

• 300 g asparagus
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 30 g panko bread crumbs
• 30 g chopped hazelnuts
• ⅓ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 500 ml vegetable stock
• 120 g white instant polenta
• 100 ml cooking cream
• 30 g grated pecorino cheese

Method

Preheat the oven to 200 °C and set it to grill. Place 300 g asparagus on a baking tray, drizzle them with olive oil and mix. Season them with salt and roast them for 10 minutes on level 2. Turn off the oven and keep the asparagus warm. Heat up 3 table spoons of olive oil in a pan. Add 2 crushed garlic cloves. Add 30 g panko bread crumbs and 30 g chopped hazelnuts. Season with ⅓ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Stir and cook until crumbs become golden brown and crispy. Pour 500 ml vegetable stock in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in 120 g white polenta and cook for 1 minute. Pour in 100 ml cooking cream. Stir and cook for 1 more minute. Remove from the heat and stir in 30 g grated pecorino cheese. Scoop creamy polenta on a plate, top it with roasted asparagus and sprinkle over hazelnut breadcrumbs. Enjoy!