If you are looking to find inspiration to cook with asparagus and level up your asparagus cooking skills, you’ve come to the right place.

Get the basics, tips, and tricks, and inspiration to cook asparagus in 10 different ways. These delightful asparagus recipes are easy to makehealthyquick, and vibrant.

how to cook asparagus including side dishes and main meals

We’ve selected our best asparagus recipes that will give you ideas for your next side dish and dinner, including risottoair fryerpasta, steaming technique, and many more.

Browse through this list, and take your pick: these green and vibrant recipes will satiate and nourish you, and add bold flavor to your day.

Our best asparagus recipes

How to Clean and Cook Asparagus

When in season, from late February through June, we eat fresh asparagus in all kinds of ways. There are numerous simple and easy ways of preparing them.

These recipes are fresh, healthy, crisp, and packed with flavor. You can serve them for breakfast, lunch, or dinner; anytime you want to make your meals a little special.

Here’s the best way to prep and clean your asparagus before cooking them.

  • Trim asparagus: Rinse asparagus under running water, then trim the woodier end of the stalks. You can do that by snapping it with your hands, one by one, or by cutting them with a knife on a cutting board. We prefer this way as it’s much faster.
trimmed woody ends of asparagus
  • Peel the woody ends: If asparagus spears are thick, woody, and not so fresh, peel a couple of inches of the stalk. Use a vegetable peeler. This will make the asparagus cook more evenly, and they’ll be less chewy and more tender.
peeling the stalk of the asparagus with a vegetable peeler

Once the basic cleaning and trimming are done, we can start cooking the asparagus.

How to select asparagus

When you look for asparagus, make sure the leaves on the tips of the asparagus are tightly closed and the entire tip is straight and firm.

The spear of your asparagus should be bright green and firm with a small amount of white by the stems. If the spears are wrinkled and soft, the asparagus are not fresh and might be bitter.

Stems should be unblemished and round in shape and not flattened. TIP: even if the asparagus stems are usually not eatable, you can use them for a vegetable broth for risotto and soups.

How to store asparagus

Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can eat them cold, at room temperature, or reheat them in the microwave. We do not recommend freezing these asparagus recipes.

How to serve asparagus

Asparagus (sauteed, grilled, boiled, steamed) is a vibrant side dish that pairs perfectly with most sauces and main dishes. Take your pick here:

Asparagus pasta with lemon and fork
Sauteed asparagus and asparagus cream with bowtie pasta.

Tips

Blanching: If you want a bright color for your asparagus, you can blanch them before e.g. sauteeing them. To blanch asparagus, cook them in salted boiling water for about 1 minute, then drain, and rinse under cold water for 20 seconds. Pat them dry with a kitchen cloth and sauté.

White wine: deglazing the pan with white wine adds acidity to the dish, which makes the asparagus flavor pop in your mouth. Deglazing simply means adding cold liquid to a hot pan. Use a dry white wine to deglaze the asparagus.

Crushed garlic: We’ve always found minced garlic to be quite annoying with asparagus. It tends to burn, turning brown and bitter, and it covers the asparagus flavor. Try adding crushed garlic instead. You’ll get plenty of garlic aroma, but more subtle.

For many more side dish ideas, check out our sides category page.

how to cook asparagus including side dishes and main meals

How to Cook Asparagus

By: Nico Pallotta
5 from 2 votes
Looking to find ideas for how to cook asparagus? We've got you covered with these side dishes and main meals, including air fryer recipes, risotto, soups, and cooking tips.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American Italian

Ingredients

  • Check each individual asparagus recipe for ingredients required.
  • Cook your favorite asparagus recipe

Instructions 

  • How to store: Keep these meals stored in the refrigerator, ideally in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.
  • How to reheat: Warm it up on the stovetop or in the microwave. Before serving garnish with fresh herbs.

Video

Asparagus Risotto is a comforting Italian dish

Notes

Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can eat them cold, at room temperature, or reheat them in the microwave. We do not recommend freezing steamed asparagus.
NOTE: Asparagus has anti-inflammatory properties and may aid digestion and lower blood pressure.

Nutrition

Serving: 200g, Calories: 300kcal, Carbohydrates: 40g, Protein: 12g
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Nico and Louise in the kitchen

Hi! We are Nico & Louise

Welcome to The Plant-Based School, a food blog with easy, tasty, and wholesome recipes.

Our aim is to help you and your family eat more veggies through delicious recipes with simple ingredients.

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