Sautéed asparagus marinated with sage, nettle and wild garlic pesto

April 5, 2015 (Last Updated: January 11, 2019)

Print Recipe

Sautéed asparagus marinated with sage, nettle and wild garlic pesto

By Shaun Schoeman – Serves: 4
Cooking Time: 50 minutes + 1 – 2 hours, to marinate (optional)

Ingredients

  • Pesto
  • 2 handfuls fresh nettles (spikes removed)/sweet basil leaves, rinsed
  • 15ml (1 tbsp) garlic, crushed
  • 30ml (2 tbsp) Parmesan, grated
  • 125ml (½ cup) olive oil
  • juice of ½ lemon
  • 15ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
  • 60ml (¼ cup) pine nuts
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • Asparagus
  • 3 bunches green/white asparagus, rinsed and peeled
  • 75ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 5 sprigs fresh sage, finely chopped
  • 15ml (1 tbsp) garlic, crushed
  • handful wild/button/large black mushrooms, sliced
  • handful fresh peas
  • handful Rosa tomatoes, halved
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • To serve
  • roasted carrot (optional)
  • cream cheese
  • risotto (click here for the recipe)
  • goat’s cheese bruschetta (top a 2,5cm slice of toasted French bread with creamy goat’s cheese)
  • pelargonium/any edible flowers (optional)

Instructions

1

For the pesto, place the nettles or basil in a food processor or large pestle and mortar together with the garlic, Parmesan, 125ml (½ cup) olive oil and lemon juice and blitz or grind to combine.

2

Heat the 15ml (1 tbsp) olive oil in a frying pan over low-medium heat and toast the pine nuts until golden brown. Add the toasted pine nuts to the pesto and blitz or grind until smooth. Season and place in a container covered with a lid or cling film until ready to use. This will keep for 4 – 5 days in the fridge.

3

For the asparagus, blanch the asparagus in boiling water for 2 minutes, then refresh in ice water. Remove from the water, place in a bowl, sprinkle with most of the olive oil and add the sage and 5ml (1 tsp) of the crushed garlic. Toss to combine and coat. This can be done 1 – 2 hours in advance and left to marinate.

4

Heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and gently sauté the marinated asparagus, 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and peas and cook until the mushrooms are soft. Add the tomatoes and remaining garlic and sauté, 30 seconds – 1 minute.

5

Toss the asparagus, mushrooms, peas and tomatoes in the pesto, about 10ml (2 tsp) per serving, to coat. Season to taste.

6

To assemble, plate the asparagus and vegetables and serve with a dollop of cream cheese, some risotto and a slice of goat’s cheese bruschetta. Garnish with edible flowers, if desired.

More From FHE:

April 5, 2015 (Last Updated: January 11, 2019) By
Send this to a friend