Best Asparagus White Bean Gratin Recipes

ASPARAGUS GRATIN

Steps:

• Place an oven rack on one of the top two shelves, then preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 3 or 4-quart casserole dish with cooking spray, butter or olive oil.
• Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Cook the asparagus, in batches if necessary, until crisp-tender, 3-4 minutes depending on the thickness of the asparagus. Drain through a colander, shaking off any excess water, then transfer to the baking dish. Toss with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
• In the same pot, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring, until the mixture develops a nutty fragrance and darkens slightly, 2-3 minutes (this is known as a roux). Whisk in the half-and-half, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, then increase the heat to medium-high. Whisk until thick, 4-5 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat, then add the cheese in handfuls, whisking until smooth. Pour the sauce evenly over asparagus.
• Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small skillet, then stir in the panko and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle over the cheese sauce.
• Bake for 10 minutes, then turn on the broiler. Broil for 1-2 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown (watch closely to make sure they don't burn).
• Serve warm.

ASPARAGUS GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F with oven rack about 6 inches from heat.
• Toss together asparagus and shallot in a 10-inch broiler-safe skillet or 8-inch square broiler-safe baking dish.
• Stir together cream, mustard, flour, garlic, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup of the fontina. Pour over asparagus, and using tongs, gently toss to coat asparagus. Top with Parmesan and remaining 1/2 cup fontina, and bake in preheated oven until asparagus is almost tender-crisp and cheese is melted, 10 to 12 minutes. Increase oven temperature to broil, and broil until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes more.

ASPARAGUS GRATIN

Steps:

• Butter a 2- to 2 1/2-quart shallow ceramic flameproof baking dish.
• Cook asparagus in a 5- to 6-quart pot of boiling salted water , uncovered, until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain in a colander, then transfer to baking dish and keep warm, tightly covered with foil.
• Meanwhile, heat oil and butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat until foam subsides, then cook shallots, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, about 3 minutes. Add bread and pine nuts and cook, stirring, until browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and add pepper, 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, tossing to combine.
• Preheat broiler.
• Toss warm asparagus with mascarpone, remaining 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt until combined well.
• Sprinkle bread-crumb mixture evenly over asparagus. Broil 5 to 7 inches from heat until topping is golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes.

WHITE BEAN AND ASPARAGUS SALAD

Steps:

• Mix one 15-ounce can cannellini beans (drained and rinsed) with 1 grated garlic clove, 1/4 cup olive oil and 2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar or white wine vinegar in a large bowl; let stand 15 minutes. Shave 1 bunch trimmed jumbo asparagus into ribbons with a vegetable peeler. Add to the bowl along with 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon and another 1 teaspoon vinegar; season with salt and pepper and toss. Toast 3 tablespoons panko in 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet; sprinkle over the salad.

GRATIN OF WHITE ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450°F (convection oven to 425°F). Brush a copper or ceramic gratin dish with a little of the melted butter.
• Trim the asparagus: you will find that white asparagus needs to be trimmed much higher-roughly halfway up the stalks, as a rule of thumb. Slice the spears in half lengthwise and lay them in the buttered gratin dish. Sprinkle with most of the lemon thyme leaves, saving a few for garnish.
• Now put the crème fraîche and mustard into a heavy pan and place over medium heat. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer, then turn down the heat slightly and let bubble to reduce by about a quarter. Season the reduced mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
• Meanwhile, put the bread crumbs in a bowl, add the Parmesan, parsley, and some pepper, and toss with your fingers to combine.
• Pour the mustardy crème fraîche over the asparagus, then scatter the crumb mixture on top, distributing it evenly. Drizzle over the rest of the melted butter. Bake the gratin on the middle shelf of the oven until the top is crisp and golden and the cream bubbles up around the sides of the dish, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining thyme leaves and serve.

ASPARAGUS GRATIN

Steps:

• In a small saucepan heat the butter until frothy. Stir in the flour and cook slowly, stirring constantly, for a minute. Add the milk and broth, whisking vigorously and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce for 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the cheese, remove the sauce from the heat and whisk it just until the cheese has melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Arrange the asparagus in the bottom of a baking dish. Top with sliced eggs and spoon the sauce over the top. Top with bread crumbs mixed with cheese and drizzle melted butter over the top. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese sauce is bubbly.

WHITE BEAN AND ASPARAGUS SALAD WITH TARRAGON-LEMON DRESSING

Steps:

• If using canned beans, drain and rinse. If using dried beans, soak in plenty of water for 6 hours or overnight. Drain beans and transfer to a medium pot. Cover beans by 2 inches with water and add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and the bay leaves. Simmer until just tender but not at all mushy, about 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours, depending upon what kind of beans you're using. Drain.
• Break off tough ends of the asparagus. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil and prepare a bowl with ice and cold water. Blanch trimmed asparagus for 1 1/2 minutes, or until just cooked through but still firm, then plunge them into the ice bath. Let sit for 5 minutes, then drain. Pat dry and slice diagonally into 1/2-inch pieces.
• In a blender or food processor, combine tarragon, lemon zest, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, the black pepper and the lemon juice, and process until garlic is chopped. Pour in olive oil. Process until mixture is well blended and bright green, about 1 minute.
• In a large mixing bowl, gently toss together beans, asparagus and dressing. Taste and add more lemon juice and salt if needed.

KENMARE'S ASPARAGUS GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, shallots and wine. Place over medium heat and simmer until reduced by half, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Spread pecans on a baking sheet and bake, stirring once or twice, until toasted, 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place a skillet over low heat, add panko, and stir until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. When pecans are toasted, remove from oven and set aside to cool.
• Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees. When the pecans are cool, place in a blender and chop for a few seconds until coarsely ground. Mix with panko and set aside.
• In a mixing bowl combine asparagus, reduced cream, fontina, and Parmigiano Reggiano. Mix well and place in a gratin dish that is about 10 inches long and 4 inches wide, or an other shallow, ovenproof baking dish. Bake until asparagus are tender, the sauce is bubbling and the top is turning golden, 6 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and top with pecan-bread crumb mixture. In a separate bowl, mix the endive and radicchio with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread over the top of the asparagus gratin. Serve hot.

SIMPLEST ASPARAGUS GRATIN

Steps:

• Adjust an oven rack to about 4 inches from the heat source; turn on the broiler. Grease a shallow medium baking pan or gratin dish with the butter.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook until bright green and tender, about 5 minutes. Remove to an ice bath to stop the cooking then drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
• Add the cheese to the food processor and pulse until large crumbs form. Add the parsley and pulse 3 or 4 more times until it is about the same size as the cheese crumbs. Tear the bread into pieces and add to the food processor. Pulse a few times, then let the machine run for a few seconds, until coarsely chopped.
• Put the asparagus in the dish and top with the breadcrumb mixture. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden. Sprinkle with a few grinds pepper and the paprika if you like, and serve.

LEMONY PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS AND WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• Grate the zest from the lemon into a small bowl. Halve the lemon and squeeze the juice from half of it on top of the zest. Add the white beans, shallot or onion, grated garlic, red-pepper flakes and a large pinch of salt and toss well. Drizzle in 1 tablespoon olive oil and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until just shy of al dente, usually 2 minutes less than the package directs.
• Meanwhile, heat a 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, then add the asparagus. Sauté until the asparagus is tender and starting to brown at the edges, 7 to 10 minutes. Add a big pinch of salt and the sliced garlic and sauté until the garlic is lightly golden, 1 to 2 minutes longer.
• Dip a coffee mug or glass measuring cup into the pasta water and scoop out about 1/2 cup of it to use for the sauce. Drain pasta, shaking it well. Add pasta, bean mixture, parsley and Parmesan to sauté pan and cook until the beans are hot and the pasta is al dente. If the mixture looks dry, splash in some (or all) of the reserved pasta water. Squeeze remaining lemon half over pasta, toss and taste. Season with pepper; add more salt, red-pepper flakes and lemon juice, if desired.

WHITE-BEAN AND ASPARAGUS SALAD

Steps:

• Cut asparagus on a diagonal into 1/8-inch-thick slices.
• Bring oil, lemon zest, juice, salt, and pepper to a simmer in a 4-quart heavy saucepan, then stir in beans and asparagus. Remove from heat and let stand, uncovered, 10 minutes. While beans stand, toast bread until golden. Meanwhile, remove enough cheese from piece with a vegetable peeler to measure about 1/2 cup shavings. Add shavings to beans along with parsley, then toss.
• Spread hot toast with butter and rub buttered side of each with cut side of garlic clove, then season with salt and halve. Serve bean salad with toasts.