White Asparagus with eggs is a recipe that highlights the simplicity of delicate, sweet white asparagus with a lemon-dill-capers vinaigrette sauce topped with finely minced boiled egg. Zesty and tangy this recipe transports me immediately to Italy, precisely in the area of Bassano a town in the Veneto inland where white asparagus are very popular in April.
I have to confess that this vegetable is one of those gems that my dad was eager to meticulously prepare every season around this time. He would go and buy a bunch or two at a small farm close by, he would come home and clean the asparagus with lots of care.
And then he would prepare a gourmet lunch: a full menu of Italian dishes that included asparagus! I still remember when at Easter my parents were hosting lunch and this delicacy was the star of the show: risotto with white asparagus, asparagus and eggs, roasted asparagus as a side for the main meat roast.
Why you will love this recipe
-A twist on the classic green Asparagus, this recipe is appetizing thanks to its zingy taste, accentuated by a bit of umami given by the capers and a bit of freshness provided by the lemon and dill.
-It requires few ingredients and is ready in 40 minutes: the bonus is that you can prepare it in advance and assemble it just before serving it!
-Versatile to serve as appetizer, side dish at your Easter table or as a light bite any other day this season!
White asparagus characteristics and traditions
The first questions many people ask is why is white asparagus white? White asparagus, unlike the green variety, grow with the absence of sunlight which prevents the photosynthesis to take place and therefore stops the asparagus turning green in colour.
White asparagus are, more difficult and more laborious to grow, therefore they fetch a higher price when they are sold on the market. In addition it is a cultivated crop, does not grow wild like the green variety.
White Asparagus are very popular all over Europe, except UK, where green asparagus are predominant. In US, is quite rare to find, but some specialty groceries stores might have it.
It seems that white asparagus origins date back to the XVI century, where was served on the most decadent banquets.
The best town, well known for the production of plump asparagus more tasty and bigger in size is Bassano del Grappa and all the stretch along the river Brenta. The Asparagus season starts the 19th of March and goes until the first week of June. During the White Asparagus season, several restaurants offer incredible tasting menus based on this delicacy. If you happen to be in Italy around this time, check the link here for the best restaurants offering a menu based on Italian dishes that includes white asparagus. In addition, in Italy small villages fair are very popular and are usually revolving around food, there is also a White Asparagus fair very famous nationally and it is the town of San Zeno (di Cassola), not far from Bassano.
Across Europe some of the most popular recipes with white asparagus are White Asparagus Mimosa very popular dish in France, where mimosa is the minced eggs on top. In Germany instead are often paired with a rich Hollandaise Sauce. In Spain, they are often served with Iberic ham crumbled on top and some nuts.
White Asparagus and Eggs Ingredients
To make this mouthwatering recipe you will need:
A bunch of white asparagus.
Hard boiled Eggs: 1 egg will be plenty to add color and taste to the dish.
Mix of fresh herbs: dill, parsley and chives are great combined to add a bit of herbaceous, fresh taste to the dish.
Extra virgin Olive Oil, Salt and black Pepper.
Lemon: you will need the juice of one lemon, to add that zingy flavor!
A bit of mustard, to add a hint of spiciness.
How to make White Asparagus and Eggs
To prepare this recipe, you will need first to prepare the asparagus. While green asparagus can be eaten without peeling them, white asparagus always need to be peeled as their stalk are more fibrous than the green variety.
Once you have cleaned and washed the asparagus, proceed by cooking them. The best way to cook white asparagus is to boil them or steam them. If you boil them, immerge them in a pot, leaving the tips 1 inch above the level of the water. It is also very important to know for how long to boil white asparagus: usually the cooking time is a bit longer, as they are a bit thicker.
I recommend to boild them for 10 minutes and then check their doness, they should be tender when pierced with a fork, but presenting a slight resistance. If they are not yet done let them boild for other 5 minutes. If you steam them I recommend 14 minutes.
Immerge them in some ice water, to cool them down.
In the meantime, your asparagus are boiling, proceed as well to boiled the eggs. For boiled eggs, calculate 10 minutes from when the water starts boiling. Place them in cold water and let them cool down.
Make the white asparagus dressing. To prepare the vinaigrette: add salt, pepper, mustard, freshly chopped herbs, minced capers and lemon to the extra virgin olive oil. Mix it well and set aside.
Now it is time to assemble the dish. Place the cooked asparagus on a serving platter. With a micro plane, shave the eggs on top of the asparagus. Then add the vinaigrette on top and serve it.
More spring recipes for you
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ARTICHOKE SALAD: A BRIGHT SIDE DISH
How to serve white asparagus and eggs.
This recipe is ideal for a nice spring lunch or dinner, you can serve this dish as appetizer followed by an artichoke risotto or a ricotta asparagus peas pasta .
A good side dish will be a spring salad, a green asparagus roasted or some roasted potatoes.
A great dessert to end the meal could be a pavlova with cherries and amarena or a pistachio tiramisu’.
How to store white asparagus with eggs
This dish is best consumed immediately once it is assembled. You can eventually prepared it one or 2 day ahead and store it in the refrigerator until the time to serve it.
Ingredient substitutions:
Asparagus: This recipe works well because of the delicate flavor of the white asparagus that works beautifully with this vinaigrette, but you can easily substitute green asparagus. Green asparagus only needs to be peeled if you have thick stalks. Also, it will not take as long to boil, so watch carefully, and test frequently to see whether they are done. Green asparagus are also lasting longer than white asparagus, which will last a few days only in the refrigerator.
Eggs: You can leave these out if you’re looking for a vegan asparagus dish. The caper vinaigrette alone is fantastic on asparagus.
Lemon Juice: This recipe uses the juice of one lemon. You can substitute white wine vinegar instead of lemon juice.
Capers: You can make this vinaigrette without the capers if you’d like, or you can replace them with chopped green olives.
Parsley: I typically prefer Italian flat-leaf parsley as a general rule, but curly parsley is absolutely fine.
Dill: you can omit the dill, if you would like.
Chives: you can sub the chives with minced shallots if you prefer a more strong taste.
Which wine to pair with white asparagus with eggs.
This dish pairs well with a crisp wine with some acidity. I would recommend a Verdicchio which has a higher acidity and a clean flavor. Vermentino, will also be a great choice thanks to its citrusy notes. An ever green choice, is Pinot Grigio.
A sparkling dry white wine will also pair well, especially if you serve this for a special occasion. A Prosecco will work great or if you can find it a sparkling Vespaiolo, a white bubbly typical of the Bassano area.
Please let me know in the comments how you like this White Asparagus and Eggs, and if you make it please leave a star rating! I would really love to hear from you!
Ingredients
- 1 pound asparagus white
- 1 egg boiled
- 1 tbsp capers chopped
- 1 tbsp parsley finely chopped
- 1 tbsp dill finely chopped
- 1 tbsp chives finely chopped
- 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp pepper black, ground
Instructions
- To prepare this recipe, you will need first to prepare the asparagus. Start by peeling them and remove 1 inch from the bottom.
- Once you have cleaned and washed the asparagus, proceed by cooking them. The best way to cook white asparagus is to boild them or steam them. If you boil them, immerge them in a pot, leaving the tips 1 inch above the level of the water. Boil them for 10 minutes and then check their doness, they should be tender when pierced with a fork, but presenting a slight resistance. If they are not yet done let them boild for other 5 minutes.
- Immerge them in some ice water, to cool them down.
- In the meantime, your asparagus are boiling, proceed as well to boiled the eggs. For boiled eggs, calculate 10 minutes from when the water starts boiling. Place them in cold water and let them cool down.
- Make the white asparagus dressing. To prepare the vinaigrette: add salt, pepper, mustard, freshly chopped herbs, minced capers and lemon to the extra virgin olive oil. Mix it well and set aside.
- Now it is time to assemble the dish. Place the cooked asparagus on a serving platter. With a micro plane, shave the eggs on top of the asparagus. Then add the vinaigrette on top and serve it.
Nutrition
Eggs
