This asparagus polenta can be ready in about the time it takes to cook the polenta. It’s also perfect for the still slightly cooler spring evenings. Best of all, it’s highly adaptable for what you already might have on hand.
Polenta: your options
No matter the season, I’ll always be up for a good bowl of polenta. It’s such a creamy bed for almost any kind of vegetable. What I didn’t know, until my good friend Alanna showed me the way, is that polenta is amazing with burrata.
If you don’t want to go the polenta route, easily turn this bowl into a delicious risotto (using a recipe like this cracked spelt or this cracked farro dish). You could also speed up the meal and use leftover grains for a delightful grain bowl.
Vegetables for every season
Summer: Green Beans/Zucchini- during summer, once asparagus is out of season, you could easily make this dish with green beans or zucchini. Both do well over high heat and tossed with herbs/nuts.
Fall: Carrots/Beets- for fall, before I dive into the winter produce, I like to transition with carrots and beets. Try roasting the roots then tossing with the herb mixture.
Winter: Sweet Potatoes/Winter Squash- the most obvious for the winter time but they both work well with polenta and burrata. Similar to the heartier fall vegetables, try roasting instead of the pan roasting.
Herbs
Dill can be a fickle herb that not everyone is in love with (as much as I am!) Swap out the dill out for parsley, rosemary, and/or chives.
Nuts
Finally, when it comes to the nuts, I love the nuts that add a flavor boost. In place of the pistachios try pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts. All work well with the big flavor of herbs and most vegetables I mentioned above.
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PinIngredients
Polenta
¾ cup polenta
3 cups water
Butter
Salt
Dill Mix
½ cup fresh dill
Zest from one lemon
Small Pinch of Salt
¼ cup toasted pistachios
Asparagus
1 pound asparagus
2 tablespoons ghee
2 to 3 ounces burrata
Instructions
- Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot. Whisk in the polenta and reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir the polenta often as it thickens. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the polenta is thick and the corn flavor has mellowed; 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter/salt.
- While the polenta is cooking, place the dill on a cutting board. Add the lemon zest and salt on top. Roughly mince everything together, chopping into a cohesive mix. Add the toasted pistachios and continue to chop until the nuts are in small pieces and are well coated with the dill mix.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Trim the ends from the asparagus and cut the stalks into bite-sized pieces. Add the ghee to the heated pan, melt, then add the asparagus to the pan. Cook until the asparagus is charred, bright green in color, and still slightly crisp in texture. Remove from heat and toss with ¾ of the dill mixture.
- Divide the polenta into 3 to 4 bowls. Top with a spoonful of burrata and the asparagus mixture. Finish with a sprinkle of the dill mixture before serving.
Keywords: asparagus polenta
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Awwww thanks for the shoutout friend! I’m alllllll over this. I don’t use dill nearly enough – it sounds perfect here!