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Roasted Asparagus with Creamy Cheese Sauce, ohhhhh yaaaaaa!
I like asparagus, but I like it even more when it’s covered in a creamy cheese sauce. I'll take a page out of George Costanza's playbook and say that I would drape myself in cheese sauce if it were socially acceptable. This is a great side dish that I hope you enjoy.
ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH CHEESE SAUCE
Recipe by Mark Calaminici | Food Loves Company
Serves 4
Ingredients
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
1 bunch of fresh asparagus, ends trimmed
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt
freshly cracked pepper
2-3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
¼ cup butter
1/3 cup mascarpone
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 ½ cups Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated, plus more for grating
Method
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a large dry frying pan over medium heat, add pine nuts and toast for 3-4 min or until golden brown. Place in a bowl or plate and set aside.
3. Place asparagus onto a casserole oven safe serving dish or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil onto asparagus, 2 tbsp and season with salt, freshly cracked pepper and chili flakes, optional. Mix to incorporate all ingredients. Line asparagus in a single layer. Place in oven and roast for 10-15 minutes, until tender. You may rotate halfway through.
4. In a large frying pan over medium heat, heat extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp. Add garlic and sauté until tender. Add butter, mascarpone and cream. Whisk ingredients until everything is incorporated. Add a generous amount of Parmigiano-Reggiano (about 1 ½ cups, if you want a starting point) and season with salt and freshly cracked pepper. Continue to whisk ingredients to create a thick and creamy sauce, adding more Parmigiano-Reggiano to thicken, if needed, I suggest you do ☺.
5. Remove asparagus from the oven and pour mixture over the asparagus and grate a generous amount of Parmigiano-Reggiano on top. Place back into oven and broil for 5 minutes or until cheese has browned. Garnish with toasted pine nuts.
Until next time, ciao!