Chef Dean
Antipasto Tortellini Salad
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Shaved Asparagus with Parmesan and Lemon
Created by
Spring asparagus shaved into delicate ribbons, dressed with nothing more than good olive oil, fresh lemon, and shards of true Parmigiano-Reggiano. A salad that celebrates the first tender spears of the season.
Salads
Italian
Dinner Party
Special Occasion
15 min
Active Time
0 min cook•15 min total
Yield4 servings
The first asparagus of spring arrives before we are ready for it. One week the farmers' market stalls hold only storage vegetables, roots and brassicas that have weathered winter. The next week, there are bundles of slender green spears, snapped that morning, still cold from the fields.
These early spears are tender enough to eat raw. That is the test. If you must peel them, if the skin seems woody, wait another week or find a different farmer. The asparagus you want for this salad should snap cleanly and taste sweet when you bite into it at the market. Do not be shy about this. A good farmer expects it.
Shaving asparagus into ribbons transforms the spear entirely. What was straight and upright becomes curled and delicate, almost like green pasta. The vegetable peeler does the work. You are not cooking here. You are getting out of the way.
Dress this salad moments before serving. The lemon will begin to soften the ribbons immediately, which is pleasant for five minutes and problematic after ten. Let things taste of what they are: grass and green and the unmistakable sweetness of spring.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
thick asparagus spears
Quantity
1 pound
preferably just-picked
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Quantity
2 ounces
in one piece
excellent olive oil
Quantity
3 tablespoons
lemon
Quantity
1 small
juiced (about 2 tablespoons)
flaky sea salt
Quantity
to taste
black pepper
Quantity
to taste
freshly cracked
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| thick asparagus spearspreferably just-picked | 1 pound |
| Parmigiano-Reggiano cheesein one piece | 2 ounces |
| excellent olive oil | 3 tablespoons |
| lemonjuiced (about 2 tablespoons) | 1 small |
| flaky sea salt | to taste |
| black pepperfreshly cracked | to taste |
Equipment Needed
- •Sharp Y-shaped vegetable peeler
- •Large cutting board
- •Wide serving platter
Instructions
- 1
Select and trim asparagus
Look at your asparagus. The tips should be tight and closed, the stalks firm with no wrinkling. Bend one spear near the bottom until it snaps. This is where the woody part ends. Trim the rest of the bunch to match. Save the tough ends for stock if you keep one going.
Thick spears work better here than pencil-thin ones. You need enough surface area to shave ribbons. - 2
Shave the asparagus
Hold one spear flat against a cutting board. Starting just below the tip, draw a vegetable peeler down the length of the spear in long, even strokes. Rotate as you work, shaving until you reach the core and the ribbon becomes too narrow to continue. The ribbons will curl naturally. This is what you want.
A Y-shaped peeler gives you more control than a straight one. Let the blade do the work. - 3
Shave the cheese
Use the same peeler to shave the Parmigiano-Reggiano into thin, irregular shards. True Parmigiano has a crystalline texture that shatters more than it curls. This is correct. You want some pieces paper-thin, others with more heft.
- 4
Dress and serve immediately
Pile the asparagus ribbons loosely on a serving platter or individual plates. Drizzle with olive oil first, then lemon juice. Toss gently with your hands, lifting from the bottom. Season with flaky salt and cracked pepper. Scatter the parmesan shards over the top. Serve within minutes.
Oil before acid. The oil coats the ribbons and protects them slightly from the lemon's softening effect.
Chef Tips
- •Buy asparagus that was cut this morning if you can find it. Look for tight tips and stalks that snap cleanly. If they bend without breaking, they are tired and better suited for roasting.
- •The olive oil matters here. This is not the moment for neutral oil or the bottle you cook with. Use something grassy and peppery that you would happily drink from a spoon.
- •True Parmigiano-Reggiano, aged at least 24 months, has depth that domestic parmesan cannot match. Look for the rind stamp. It should read Parmigiano-Reggiano in pin dots.
- •If asparagus season has passed, do not force this salad with shipped spears. Try shaved zucchini in summer or shaved fennel in fall. The technique travels; the ingredient changes with the calendar.
Advance Preparation
- •The asparagus can be shaved up to two hours ahead and held in a bowl of ice water to keep the ribbons crisp. Drain and dry thoroughly before dressing.
- •This salad cannot be dressed ahead. The moment lemon meets asparagus, the clock starts. Dress and serve immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 145g)
Calories
175 calories
Total Fat
15 g
Saturated Fat
4 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
10 g
Cholesterol
10 mg
Sodium
375 mg
Total Carbohydrates
5 g
Dietary Fiber
2 g
Sugars
2 g
Protein
8 g
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