Spring is underway which means asparagus season is in full swing, and the sturdy green veggie provides the perfect backbone for a vegetarian ragù.
From green to white to the thin green version to the violet, asparagus comes in a variety of colors. This vegetarian ragù recipe calls for the green variant, but feel free to change it up with your favorite.
How to choose asparagus
Whether wild or cultivated, the best way to discern quality asparagus is by checking the ends. The tips need to be rich in color and tender with firmly closed leaves and a straight tip. The stalks must be firm without any marks or wrinkles and the stem needs to be straight, not flattened. They also need to break crisply and not bend which means they’ve lost water and are therefore not as fresh.
How to store asparagus
To keep the asparagus market-fresh, store them in the freezer. First clean and cut off the hardest part of the stem, then dip the stalks in boiling water, whole or in pieces as you prefer, for 3-4 minutes.
Drain and place the asparagus in a bowl with ice water and when cold, dry the stalks one by one with paper towels. Place the stalks in freezer bags, seal closed, and store them in the freezer. The asparagus will keep fresh until whenever you're ready for it. To cook the frozen asparagus, no need to let it thaw. Just add it to the other ingredients frozen and cook.
Asparagus Ragù Recipe
Ingredients
1 lb. green asparagus
2 celery ribs
1 carrot
1 small onion
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
½ oz. dried mushrooms
2 bay leaves
2 cloves
grated lemon rind
extra-virgin olive oil
salt
Method
Soak the mushrooms in a bowl with cold water. Drain then coarsely chop them. Peel the asparagus, removing the end part of the stalks, the tougher part. Steam them for 3 minutes and once ready cut the stalks into slices and keep the tips aside. Coarsely chop the onion, carrot, and celery and let them wither in a pan with extra virgin olive oil, bay leaf, and cloves. Then add the tomato paste diluted with water and the chopped mushrooms. Cook everything together for around 10 minutes, then remove the bay leaf and cloves, add the asparagus and lemon zest. Add salt and cook for another 5 minutes. Finally, add the asparagus tips, stir well, and the asparagus ragù is ready.