Celebrate spring with our best asparagus recipes! Fresh, bright, and easy to make, they include pastas, risottos, salads, side dishes, and more.
I start daydreaming about asparagus recipes as soon as I notice the first signs of spring. If I see daffodils blooming in front of a neighbor’s house, I want asparagus frittata. If I catch a glimpse of green buds growing on a tree, I want a bowl asparagus soup. And if the temperature rises above 60°F, I’m at the grocery store to get the ingredients pasta primavera. What can I say? After a long winter filled with root veggies and squash, asparagus recipes are an exciting change. They’re fresh, bright, and often quick to prepare—the start of easy, breezy cooking that I love to make all spring and summer.
In case you’re not sure where to start with this green spring veggie, I’ve rounded up my best asparagus recipes below. These range from basics such as grilled asparagus and grilled asparagus in salads, pasta, pizza, and more. Pick a few to try this season! If you ask me, there’s no better way to celebrate spring.
Essential Asparagus Recipes
Think of these easy asparagus recipes as asparagus 101! They will teach you how to prepare it simply, allowing for its fresh flavor and crunchy texture.
How to Cook Asparagus
If this is your first time cooking asparagus recipes, this post is a great place to start! It breaks down my methods for grilling, roasting, and blanching asparagus.
Sautéed Asparagus
Prepared only with olive oil and lemon juice, this sautéed asparagus is quick, tasty, and versatile! Serve it as a side dish, pile it on polentaor put it in a omelette.
Grilled Asparagus
Remove the crispy soft spears from the baking sheet, or pour them out creamy dill sauce for a stunning spring side dish.
Air Fryer Asparagus
If you have an air fryer, don’t sleep on this dish! This is one of my favorite asparagus recipes because the tips get nice brown and crispy. Plus, it requires 5 ingredients and cooks in 10 minutes!
Grilled Asparagus
Take the woody end of the asparagus, toss it with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, and put it on the grill! In less than 15 minutes, it’ll be juicy and lightly charred—the perfect easy side dish for a spring cookout.
Pickled Asparagus
When I have a jar of this pickled asparagus in the fridge, I can never resist pulling out a few stalks for an afternoon snack. They are crunchy, tangy, and refreshing. If I don’t eat them straight from the jar, I like to toss them in salads and add them in the spring crudité platters.
Spring Pasta Recipes with Asparagus
When I want to turn a bunch of asparagus into a whole meal, I often turn to pasta. It’s a great canvas for the bright, fresh flavors of spring, and I love how its chewy, al dente texture plays with the sharp spears.
Creamy Orzo with Asparagus and Peas, page 115 of Simple with Feel Good Food
You may recognize this recipe from the cover of my new cookbook, Simple Feel Good Food! To me, it’s spring on a plate. Lemon zest, fresh herbs, and blanched green veggies sit on a bed of orzo pasta. The orzo has definite risotto vibes to it (so creamy!), but it cooks in a fraction of the time, making this dish a great choice for a spring weeknight.
Pasta Primavera
This dish is one of my go-to meals in June, when asparagus is still in season but summer tomatoes and zucchini are starting to pop up too. Filled with colorful vegetables and garnished with basil, it’s insanely fresh and flavorful. And best of all, you can have it on the table in 30 minutes flat!
Tagliatelle with Asparagus and Peas
A light cashew cream sauce coats the pea, herb, and asparagus pasta. Serve it with your favorite white wine for an elegant date night dinner.
More Asparagus Recipes for Dinner
Not feeling like pasta? Make one of these asparagus recipes for dinner instead!
Spring Sheet Pan with Baked Fetapage 135 of Simple with Feel Good Food
WHO no love a sheet pan dinner?! This recipe, from my new cookbook Simple with Feel Good Food, is everything I want on a spring weeknight. I grilled rich, tangy feta cheese with asparagus and potatoes. Then, I served it all with a bright lemon dressing and a sprinkling of fresh herbs. So easy and so delicious!
Farmers Market Potato and Asparagus Pizza
When I have thicker asparagus spears, I often use a vegetable peeler to slice them into ribbons. They are great in salads or on toast, but I especially like them on this spring pizza. Instead of baking them into the pizza, I dress them with lemon juice and add them as a garnish when they come out of the oven. They offer the perfect fresh contrast to the melty cheese and hearty crust!
Asparagus Risotto
It’s creamy, comforting, lemony, and bright. The more fresh herbs you pile on top, the better. I wouldn’t say no to some Parmesan cheese either!
Creamy Asparagus Soup
This spring soup is deliciously creamy without any cream. Instead, a mixture of asparagus, potatoes, and peas create its delicious texture.
Asparagus is great with Eggs
When asparagus is at its best, I like to eat it with every meal of the day, including breakfast! These egg recipes with asparagus make it easy.
How to Make a Frittata
If I’m hosting an Easter or Mother’s Day brunch, there’s a good chance asparagus frittata will be on the menu. It’s super easy to make (we’re talking one pan and 30 minutes), and it’s always a hit!
Baked Eggs
Sauteed asparaguspeas, fresh herbs, and feta cheese enhance the delicately baked eggs.
Healthy Breakfast Casserole
This veggie-packed breakfast casserole is based on my mom’s signature brunch dish. It’s an easy, delicious way to serve a crowd. Bonus: leftovers stay good for breakfast or lunch (heck, even dinner!) the next day.
How to Make an Omelette
My ideal spring breakfast! Soft and fluffy eggs surround creamy avocado, goat cheese, pea shoots, and sautéed asparagus. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Add Asparagus to Your Spring Salads
Smooth, green, and fresh, it will make any salad taste like spring.
Bright Spring Salad
There’s a lot to love about this bright spring salad—tender asparagus, crispy chickpeas, creamy avocado, delicate lettuce… But my favorite part is the pesto vinaigrette. Made with olive oil, garlic, basil, and lemon, it adds an herbaceous zing to this refreshing recipe.
Asparagus salad
Who said you need lettuce to make a spring salad?! Here, blanched asparagus forms the base of the salad, no leaves required! I topped it with radishes, feta, toasted pine nuts, and big drizzles of my creamy avocado dressing.
Farro Salad with Grilled Asparagus
Nutty farro playing smoky grilled asparagusbriny capers, and tangy pickled radish. A fragrant lemon-thyme dressing binds it all together.
Spring Quinoa with Asparagus, Peas, and Pickled Onions
Three fun facts about this hearty spring salad:
1) It has TWO dressings (aka tons of flavor).
2) grated boiled eggs load it up with protein.
3) It’s packed perfectly for lunch! Weekly food preparation=solved.
Grilled Asparagus
Serving 4
- 1 bunch of asparagus, the woody ends are cut off
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for misting
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Lemon wedges, for squeezing
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Preheat oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the spears with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and spread them out on the baking sheet.
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Bake for 12 minutes, or until the spears are slightly crisp and tender. Squeeze lemon and serve.