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Asparagus and Pea Caprese

Recipe

Bright, fresh and beautifully assembled. Tender asparagus two ways - blanched spears and a vibrant pesto, piled with torn mozzarella. This one's perfect for a when it starts to get a little warmer.

Cook time: 30 mins |  Serves: 4

Ingredients:

  • 1 kg Asparagus

For the Asparagus Pesto

  • 1 Garlic Clove
  • 30g Parmesan
  • 35g Pine Nuts
  • 1 Lemon
  • 4 tbsp Olive Oil

For The Shallot Dressing

  • 1 Lemon
  • 1 Shallot
  • 2 tbsp Olive Oil

To Serve

  • 300g Frozen Peas
  • 250g Mozzarella
  • 15g Fresh Basil
  • 5g Pine Nuts
  • Salt
  • Black Pepper

Method:

  1. Heat the oven to 180°C. Add the pine nuts to a baking tray and pop in the oven for 4-7 mins, or until golden, then remove and leave to cool. You'll need a handful for garnish and the rest are for the pesto.
  2. Meanwhile, snap the woody ends off all the asparagus and discard. Finely dice the shallot, peel the garlic, grate the Parmesan and zest all the lemons, then set aside.
  3. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the asparagus to the pan and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 4 mins, then lift out three-quarters of the spears with tongs and plunge into ice water to stop the cooking. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Cook the remaining asparagus for a further 3 mins until nice and soft so it blends easily in the pesto, then scoop out with a slotted spoon and pop on kitchen paper, leaving to steam dry. (Keep your saucepan on a low heat, you'll use the water again to cook your peas later on).
  4. Make the shallot dressing. Squeeze the juice of the lemon into a bowl and add the finely diced shallot. Drizzle in the olive oil, season with salt and black pepper and whisk to emulsify. Toss the blanched asparagus spears (the softer cooked asparagus is for your pesto) in the dressing and set aside.
  5. Make the asparagus pesto. Add the remaining soft-cooked asparagus to a blender with the peeled garlic, most of the toasted pine nuts, the Parmesan, olive oil, the lemon zest and juice of the lemon. Blitz until smooth, then taste and season with salt and black pepper.
  6. Back to your large saucepan, turn up the heat until the water is boiling. Add the frozen peas and cook for 2-3 mins until bright green, then drain.
  7. To serve, divide the dressed asparagus spears between plates, then tear over the mozzarella, spoonfuls of the asparagus pesto, the peas, basil leaves and the remaining pine nuts. Dig in.