The asparagus season is slowly coming to a close, and I’d like to share one of my favorite dishes I made this year. I like asparagus so much, that we’ve even planted some in our garden. It will take three years before we’ll be able to have a full harvest, but you’ve got to start sometime! I’m really looking forward to eating our own. Since I’m a sucker for heirloom varieties and trying anything different, we bought purple asparagus.
This recipe showcases asparagus at its best. Roasting the spears is one of my favorite ways to enjoy asparagus. Be sure to use very fresh mozzarella, ideally buffalo mozzarella (mozzarella di bufala), or burrata. The creaminess of the cheese adds another layer of texture to the salad.
Asparagus salad with Mozzarella
- 1 bunch asparagus
- olive oil, salt and pepper
- 2 balls of mozzarella
- basil
- 3 Tbs olive oil
- 2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tsp grainy Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbs capers, chopped
Snap off the woody ends of the asparagus (unless you are very lucky to have fresh-cut spears) and cut diagonally into ca. 6 cm pieces. Place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, drizzle some oil over the asparagus and toss gently with salt and freshly ground pepper. Roast in the oven at 200°C until soft and starting to char.
Meanwhile whisk the oil, vinegar, mustard and capers until emulsified.
Divide the roasted asparagus onto two plates and top each with a ball of mozzarella. Then drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad, sprinkling with basil leaves. Season with freshly ground pepper and salt.
Serves 2.
Note: It would also be possible to grill the asparagus either on the grill or in a grill pan. If you do this, leave the asparagus whole and cut after grilling them.
