Asparagi al Forno

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sparagus is 'comin' in good' at the local mega-stores, and even though the price includes a commission for the diesel fuel to get it here, I'll relax my "locally-grown" standard when it looks this good.

I have a friend in Gloucester, MA., for whom Asparagi al Forno, baked asparagus with Parmesan, has become a signature dish. His wife confides privately, though, it's the only dish he cooks. Nevertheless, he's written several times to tell me about his culinary successes.

Readers have also written, lamenting the fact that they'll never approach the ease or speed with which Jaques Pepin peels a stalk of asparagus. Frankly I've punted that issue.

Of course, if the asparagus is particularly thick, I'll take the time to peel approximately the lower third with a vegetable peeler. Otherwise, I use a little quirk of asparagus anatomy to separate the tough part from the tender.

I grasp the asparagus stalk between my thumbs and first fingers, approximately one inch from either end, and, holding the asparagus away from my body, push forward, bending the stalk until the bottom naturally breaks off from the top. The remaining top portion will be completely tender, while the stringy, tough bottom part will make a springtime banquet for my landlady's Red Wriggler worms.

Asparagi al Forno
Baked Asparagus with Parmesan

Perhaps this dish should be called asparagi rifinito nel forno, asparagus finished in the oven, because after parcooking, it's baked for just a few minutes in order to melt the Parmesan cheese. Nevertheless, it's a worthwhile step, and makes an interesting change from the traditional asparagus dressed with oil and lemon.

While this dish is typically a contorno, or vegetable course, the folks in Lombardia—Milan in particular—take it one step further by serving it topped with a fried egg as a luncheon dish. I can already feel my arteries contracting at the wonderful thought of egg yolk combining with melted Parmesan cheese.

Tuscans, of course, won't even acknowledge the existence of butter, so they serve this dish dressed with Extra Virgin olive oil. The rest of northern Italy uses butter, while the Southerners, as you may have guessed, also use olive oil.

Ingredients:

1 - 1 1/2 Lb. Fresh asparagus
Salt & freshly ground pepper
2 Tbs. Unsalted butter or 2 Tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Parmesan cheese in a block - see note

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Bring 4 - 5 quarts of salted water to a boil over high heat. While the water is coming to the boil, prepare the asparagus. Take a stalk of asparagus between both thumbs and forefingers, gripping it about one inch of the way up from the root end.

With your thumbs facing you, press outward to bend the asparagus. It will break at a point where the tender portion joins the more fibrous root end. Discard the root portion. If it doesn't break immediately, turn it in your fingers and try again. You need not force it.

Cook the asparagus in the boiling water for 4 - 5 minutes, then drain. Pour onto an ovenproof plate and season with salt & pepper. Add the butter or olive oil, and then with a vegetable peeler, shave the Parmesan over all.

Place in the preheated oven for three or four minutes, or until the cheese melts and begins to brown. Serve immediately.

Serves four.

Note: If you don't have a block of Parmesan cheese, grated cheese will work just as well. The appearance of the dish will be less dramatic, but it will taste every bit as good.