Home
Blog
Shaved asparagus salad with pangrattato

Shaved asparagus salad with pangrattato

Fresh asparagus, crispy pangrattato, and plenty of punchy EVOO—this dish is one of those quietly brilliant recipes that’s more about what you don’t do than what you do. No oven, no fuss, just a handful of good ingredients, treated with a little care: seasonal produce at its finest.

Today, the 23rd April, marks the “official” start of the asparagus season in the UK. So, what better way to celebrate than this vibrant salad from Bettina Campolucci Bordi?

"The secret here is in the olive oil," says Bettina. A quality EVOO brings the whole thing together coating those fine asparagus ribbons and carrying the lemon in just the right way. The pangrattato is technically optional, it’s the golden, garlicky crunch that takes this from lovely to let's-make-this-again-tonight.

Simple, bright, and full of flavour this is a plate of early summer you’ll want to keep on rotation.

Here's the method:

Feeds 2-3.

Shave each asparagus spear by holding the asparagus end and shaving away from you with a vegetable peeler.
Chop up the leftover part that is too thin to shave, and discard the hard asparagus end.
Place the shaved asparagus in a bowl and add the lemon juice, zest, and olive oil and gently mix through with your hands, massaging it into the asparagus to coat thoroughly.
Set aside to marinate while you make the pangrattato.
Blitz the bread in a blender or food processor to create breadcrumbs.
Heat a frying pan on a medium-high heat and add the olive oil.
Once hot, add the breadcrumbs, grated garlic, chilli, thyme, and salt & pepper and stir for a few minutes until the breadcrumbs are golden and crispy.
Turn off the heat and then add the lemon zest.
By now the asparagus has been marinating nicely.
Serve it up in a lovely serving dish, top with the pangrattato, and enjoy! (I actually quite like the pangrattato at the bottom of the plate and mixing just before serving so that the asparagus stays super green.)

Top tip:

You can prepare the asparagus in advance and let it marinate for longer if you wish for a more intense flavour.

You may also like...

The olive oil squeeze bottle trend—and why we’re not following it.

The olive oil squeeze bottle format exploded fast, and for understandable reasons: one brand proved there was real, pent-up appetite for a more approachable olive oil experience. This article was written by Citizens of Soil founder Sarah Vachon and Erin Ridley—a certified olive oil sommelier, as well as a former producer, sensory panelist, and competition judge. Originally from California, she is now based in Madrid, Spain. Squeeze bottles are everywhere. Walk into any independent food sho...

True Collagen flatbread with extra virgin olive oil

Delight in the act of “fare la scarpetta” and soak up plenty of liquid gold goodness in the great British sunshine this weekend with these collagen flatbreads, the ideal accompaniment for any dip selection. We’ve joined forces with Ancient + Brave to bring you this no-bake, nutrient-dense Mediterranean flatbread. It’s the ultimate proof that you don't have to separate your health rituals from your cooking practices. Packed with easily digestible, highly absorbable and clinically researche...

The ultimate Greek salad

This recipe is from our Cretan queen—Maria. We've sat around Maria's table in Crete many times learning her recipe for the perfect mix. Made for a sunshine moment, this dish is best enjoyed in the summer months when produce is at its best. Simple, quick, and oh so delicious, Greek salad is made (or broken!) by the freshness of the ingredients. This is a dish that really should be eaten in summer when tomatoes and cucumbers are in season. Maria opts for the addition of red wine vinegar for a...