We might be a week and a half out from Spring, but it’s juuuuuuust around the corner. Its seasonal produce is starting to make it’s appearance and I just couldn’t wait to share this recipe! Asparagus is one of my absolute favorite flavors of Spring, used in side dishes, main dishes, as well as being a wonderful and delicious addition to breakfast or brunch quiches. Having lived in colder weather climates over the years including Seattle, Portland and even Alaska, I’ve always loved the arrival of spring veggies with their bright greens reminding me a new season of growth is sprouting up from the ground, offering fresh signs of life. It’s a season full of hope and new beginnings, fresh scents and new blooming beauty…not to mention the turn of the weather means peaceful evening dinners on the patio. (Okay, well the term “peaceful” might be relative if you have kiddos running wild, but at least the weather allows for some room to roam!)
The flavors of this dish marry beautifully and it’s incredibly simple with little skill needed to prepare. The oven does most of the work for you with the roasted veggies, the polenta takes 5 minutes to make, and the rest is a matter of chopping, slicing, crumbling and sprinkling. Whether making as a side, plating up for a light dinner, or throwing an over-easy egg on top for breakfast, it’s truly a versatile and healthy dish bursting with flavor. The roasted veggies and smooth, slightly sweet and nutty-flavored polenta blend deliciously with the tangy feta and crispy, salty prosciutto. The hint of lemon tops off this dish perfectly with a bright edge that will leave you wanting another bite!
I love cooking with “superfoods” and asparagus is yet another you’ll find frequently in my fridge. With vitamins A, C, E, K, and B6, folate, iron, copper, calcium and protein, it’s known to be one of the healthiest foods you can eat. With it’s high fiber content and containing only 32 calories per cup, it’s a prime food to keep you feeling satiated while supporting your weight loss or weight maintenance goals, on top of fueling up with essential vitamins and nutrients. Asparagus helps flush your body if you are retaining water weight or experiencing bloating as it aids in the removal of excess sodium. You can accurately say it’s your right hand (wo)man if in combat with the battle of the bulge!
As this recipe includes cheese, the vitamin K in asparagus helps you absorb the calcium in the dish to support bone health, not to mention it is also high in tryptophan. Tryptophan is an amino acid which is known to be a mood-booster. If you live in a climate where spring starts out as a rainy season, you don’t have to wait for the sun to peak out of the clouds to get that mood boost – just regularly add some asparagus to your diet to combat those rainy day blues. That was always a battle for me with the very overcast and wet beginnings of spring in the Northwest, so the more all-natural mood-boosters the better!
Polenta is the “bed” of this recipe, and if you aren’t too familiar with it, you are in for a treat. Polenta is corn-based, very similar to grits. It’s super simple to make with only 5 minutes of stove top time. In restaurants, it’s often made with cream and/or butter sending it into the category of sneaky high-calorie items. The polenta in this recipe calls for chicken broth, sweetened vanilla almond milk, a bit of garlic powder, and parmesan, all of which make it both highly flavorful, creamy and mildly nutty and sweet with a hint of cheesy deliciousness. Polenta can be found in the bulk section of most grocery stores making it a cheap and easy option for meals, while also being gluten-free. At about 100 calories per half cup serving, this version of polenta is not only tasty, but lighter in calories than you might find in most restaurants.
Prep time: 12-15 min/Cook time: 12-15 min/Total time: 24-30 min
Makes 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
1 large bunch asparagus, washed, ends broken off (25-30 spears)
1 red onion, thinly diced
2 tbsp grated parmesan (for asparagus)
Half a lemon (juice and zest for roasting asparagus)
salt & pepper to taste (for asparagus & onions)
1/2 tsp garlic powder (for asparagus & onions)
4-5 slices prosciutto, torn, pan-crisped
1 c. polenta
1 c. sweetened vanilla almond milk
1 c. water
1 3/4 c. chicken broth (reserve 3/4 c. to add at the end to manipulate desired thickness)
1/4 tsp garlic powder (for polenta)
1/2 tsp salt (for polenta)
1/4 c. parmesan (for polenta)
About 1/2 c – 1 cup. feta (about 2 tbsp per dish, if plating individually for 4-6 people, otherwise sprinkle across the platter of asparagus)
Instructions:
- For easy cleanup, use a foil lined pan for roasting. Lightly coat the foil lined pan with olive oil spray. Wash asparagus, break 1-2 inches off the ends and discard.
- Thinly slice the onion if using asparagus with thin to medium thickness. *Helpful tip: to equalize roasting time between the two vegetables, when using thicker spears, cut the onion slices just slightly thicker so they don’t char before the asparagus is done.
- Coat the asparagus & sliced onion with an olive oil mist, both sides.
- Sprinkle 1/2 tsp garlic powder over the veggies along with salt & pepper to taste, a squeeze of lemon juice, zest of half a small lemon (about 1/2 tsp), parmesan cheese.
- Roast asparagus & red onions for 10-12 minutes at 425. I prefer to remove the roasted asparagus while it remains just a tad crisp. Larger, thicker spears will take a little longer to roast.
7. Polenta cooks very quickly – under 5 minutes. It can be easily made towards the end of the roasting process. To make the polenta, boil the liquid (with 3/4 cups broth reserved for adding at the end if necessary). Slowly add the polenta to the pot and continue to stir. Reduce to a simmer and stir as it starts to thicken. Add parmesan cheese. Add more broth to reach smooth consistency if it gets too thick. It should be able to pour easily into a shallow bowl or platter but without being too runny.
8. Tear each slice of prosciutto up into about 2-3 pieces. Lightly mist a pan with an olive oil spray and heat to medium. Add prosciutto and cook til crisp, a few minutes, turning as needed.
9. Pour polenta in the bottom of each dish if plating individually, chop asparagus, and layer over polenta with onions, crumbled prosciutto and top with feta and a slice of lemon garnish.
For a side dish platter presentation, pour and spread the polenta onto the platter as the base and layer the asparagus length-wise over top. Add the onions across the length over the asparagus, then sprinkle the feta and prosciutto across the length of it as well. Garnish with a few lemon slices either over the top or on the side. This makes for a beautiful Easter Sunday side dish!
*This dish is gluten-free. If desiring the vegetarian version, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth in the polenta. Leave out the crispy prosciutto and replace with another crunchy alternative such as honey-roasted almond slices.