roasted asparagus with walnut crema

since pretty much all that's in season in indiana right now is asparagus and spinach, i've been eating an awful lot of both. this recipe looks really fancy but is really simple, and the "crema" (read: puréed onions and walnuts) is truly one of the most delicious things i've had in a long time (i was eating spoonfuls of it out of the fridge for days). quickly roasting asparagus at a high temperature helps retain its crunch and color. i subsituted parmigiano reggiano for pecorino cheese, since i've had a block of it sitting in my fridge for awhile, and it was delicious. enjoy!

roasted asparagus with walnut crema
recipe adapted from A16: food + wine, courtesy of orangette (i also adjusted portions)

for walnut crema:

• salt
• ½ cup raw walnuts
• 3 ½ tbsps olive oil
  
• ½ small onion, diced (about ½ cup)

for asparagus:

• 1 bunch asparagus (about 14 spears)
• olive oil
• kosher salt
• 1/4 cup large parmigiano reggiano (or hard cheese of your choice) shavings, loosely packed
• lemon wedges for serving (optional)

to make the crema, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. add the walnuts and blanch 10 minutes or until tender in the middle. drain the walnuts, reserving the cooking water. set aside separately.

while walnuts are blanching, in a small skillet, warm 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. add the onion and a generous pinch of salt, and sweat for about 7 minutes, or until golden brown and softened.

in the bowl of a food processor, combine the walnuts, about 2 tbsps of the cooking water, and the onion, and process until creamy (you might need to add more cooking water). taste for seasoning: it will probably need a decent amount of salt. with the motor running, slowly add olive oil, processing until blended (you might not need all of the olive oil--the crema should have the consistency of a creamy hummus. if it seems too thick, add a little water. taste again for seasoning, and then transfer to a bowl or other container. cover and hold at room temperature (or, if you're not ready to use it within the next few hours, store tightly covered and bring to room temperature before serving).

preheat the oven to 500°F. line a baking sheet with foil.

chop the tough ends from the asparagus spears. rinse and dry them well. spread them in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets and drizzle them lightly with olive oil, rolling them around and smearing the oil with your hands to coat evenly. season with salt and bake for about 8 minutes, shaking the pan once or twice, until blistered, slightly charred, and tender.

to serve, spoon the crema evenly across the bottom of a platter (i gave mine a zap in the microwave first so it was slightly warmed). arrange the asparagus spears on top. working quickly, while the asparagus is still hot, shave cheese generously over the platter. finish with a drizzle of olive oil, and serve immediately, with a squeeze of lemon, if you like.