Revealing Secret Asparagus Casserole Recipe with Peas

This asparagus casserole recipe is a very healthy and light vegetable dish that is easy to prepare with our step-by-step instructions. It is a little-known gem of a Mediterranean recipe displaying the delicious flavors of the Mediterranean spring.

Wild asparagus are exquisite, but this vegetable easily admits green varieties of asparagus too. If you don’t have access to wild asparagus, don’t worry, go ahead and make it with the variety you have at hand. It’s still a very tasty and easy asparagus recipe.

This quick and easy recipe is a brilliant example of the seasonal landscape cuisine that has been naturally kept in the Catalan Countries and across the Mediterranean basin. You can eat this asparagus casserole as a side dish with sardines, or you can have it as a main dish if you like vegetarian dishes.

Ingredients

Serves 4 as appetizer or side dish; serves 2 as main dish

• 3 bundles of asparagus chopped into 2 or 3-inch pieces
• 1 pound shelled fresh peas
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium-sized ripe tomatoes; peeled and grated
• 1 big onion; finely chopped
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups water
• 4 corns black pepper

For the picada

• 4 peeled cloves garlic
• 4 toasted almonds
• A piece of toasted bread of about 2 inches
• 1 small sprig flat Italian parsley; leaves finely chopped

How to prepare this asparagus casserole

1. Cut and discard the hard stem ends of the wild asparagus. Although it varies a lot depending on their origin, you should chop at least 2 inches.
2. Chop the asparagus into 2-inch pieces and steam them for five minutes with 2 cups of water. Do not discard the remaining water from steaming, set it aside.
• Steaming is the best way to cook asparagus, preferable to boiling as it ensures that the wild asparagus keep the freshness of the landscape where they naturally sprang up.
3. Now it’s time for the sofregit or Catalan tomato sauce. This time cook it uncovered. Heat the olive oil in a casserole and add the onion. Turn heat to low and stir for about 3 minutes. Add the tomato and the bay leaves and stir. Cook for 2 more minutes.
4. Add the peas, making sure that the heat is low to prevent burning, and cook for 15 minutes stirring now and then.
5. In the meantime prepare the picada. Pound with mortar and pestle, first the garlic, then the almonds, and finally the bread and the Italian parsley leaves. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of the asparagus water to dilute and bind the picada.
6. When the peas are tender, add the tablespoon of flour and 1 cup of the asparagus water you set aside. Cook for 2 more minutes.
7. Add the steamed asparagus, pepper, salt, and the picada. Stir, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Do you have a favorite asparagus recipe you want to share in the comments below?