Asparagus might be available in supermarkets all year long, but they are never as sweet and delicious as when you buy them from your local farmer or pick them from your own garden.
Here in the northeastern United States, this year’s crop has been particularly good due to the superb spring weather we’ve been having. The result: tender stems with high sugar content and loads of flavor. So for the last several weeks, asparagus has been a main ingredient for many of my recipes: delicate soups, crunchy salads, melt-in-your-mouth tarts, creamy risottos and buttery pasta sauces.
No matter how fanciful the recipes they inspire might get, I adore the simple technique of roasting asparagus with a little olive oil and salt. The tips get browned and intensely flavorful while the stems remain crunchy.
Last week I decided to serve my roasted asparagus with burrata. If you’ve never had burrata, I hope you give it a try: it’s the Ferrari of mozzarella. The technique for making the cheese is the same as for mozzarella, except that it’s formed in the shape of a pocket, stuffed with bits of mozzarella and cream, and then tied with a knot. It turns into a marvelously soft cheese with an oozing creamy center.
Eating the sweet, creamy burrata and the roasted asparagus, together in one mouthful, is nothing short of a tastegasm. Add lemony sorrel leaves and the superb Tahitian Lime Oil from O Olive Oil and you have a dish that is both simple and unforgettable.
A loaf of crusty loaf of bread will be de rigueur, as polishing off the exquisite juices will be impossible to resist.
Food & wine pairing: Galicia, Albariño with roasted asparagus and burrata
An Albariño from Galicia in northwest Spain with its crisp acidity, mouthwatering minerality and mellow lime notes is exquisite with this dish.
Roasted asparagus with burrata, Tahitian lime oil and sorrel chiffonade
serves 4
active time: 15 min
- 2 lbs (905 g) asparagus spears (2 bunches) – stem snapped off at the base
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt or to taste
- 1 burrata cheese (8 oz) (225 g)
- Tahitian lime oil as garnish (or lemon oil)
- 6 large leaves sorrel (or arugula) – cut in 1/16″ chiffonade
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 large jelly roll pan
- Preheat oven to 500°F (260ºC).
- Step 1: Move rack to the top of the oven. Spread the asparagus on a jellyroll pan. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes (depending on their size) until the tips begin to brown. Remove from pan and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Step 2: Place burrata in the center of a serving platter. Arrange the roasted asparagus on each side of the cheese. Drizzle lavishly with the Tahitian Lime Oil. Top the cheese with the sorrel chiffonade. Finish with freshly ground black pepper to taste and serve.
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Lovely asparagus combination.. I will have this as a starter next week for some friends.
You always encourage me!
Thank you again for something unique,:-)
Thank you so much Jeanette!
Wow! We love asparagus and hope to find some tomorrow when where out shopping. We will enjoy this treat. Thank you!
This sounds fantastic, Viviane! I have heard of, but never seen, Burrata cheese. Now I have GOT to try and find some so I can make this… as well as look for the Tahitian Lime Oil. Wonderful sounding dish as usual 🙂
This sounds amazing! You have so many delicious flavors combined here! Burrata is something worth seeking out even though it is not easy to come by in my neck of the woods.
Oh, I was just reading about that particular cheese the other day and I want to try it but haven’t been able to find it in any market near me. Your descriptive writing makes me totally want to feast on this dish. Wonderful Viviane.
Mmmmm, what a lovely idea to combine burrata and asparagus! I will have to try this, it looks just too wonderful to pass up.
All the ingredients made it to my shopping list. So definitely making this.
Roasting asparagus is the only way to go, and the burrata looks wonderful, I have only had it once but I loved it. As usual your photos are amazing, keep up the excellent work!
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Viviane, this recipe is wonderful — I’ve made it twice this spring (2011) and expect to do so a few more times. Murrays now has burrata from Vermont! Each container has two balls, slightly smaller than the Italian buratta they sell, which works well when cooking for two. (I tore up the second one the next day over penne with an uncooked tomato sauce.) Thanks a million — I’ve got your site on my bookmark bar.
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I had burrata for the first time last year in Vienna and was an instant convert – needless to say your lovely picture made me drool. Luckily I’ll be in Italy for 2 weeks from the end of the month so I’ll be hoovering it up like no-one’s business ;P
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Me. burrata. fork. closet 😉
So gorgeous! I made a spring salad for a dinner party a few weeks ago and was hoping to serve some burrata alongside, but our Italian market didn’t have any. I was heartbroken and had to use fresh mozzarella instead. I love the inclusion of sorrel here! Sorrel grows well in our climate and I love its flavor, but I am often not sure how to use it.
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Burrata cheese is really something new to me! It sounds super delicious. Great post!
What a beautiful pairing for asparagus. And I agree – roasting or grilling asparagus is the only way to go.
What an amazing pairing of asparagus, burrata and sorrel! Definitely perfect with Tahitian lime oil!
Such a great combination of flavors. Awesome pics too. We are huge burrata fans!
LL
Lovely! I absolutely agree that roasting asparagus is the way to go.
I’ve never used sorrel, but if it grows like a weed, I have to add it to my vegetable garden.
Love the pictures, by the way.
when Paula Wolfert was at my house for dinner last Saturday night I asked her about burrata, after reading about it on Food Buzz. She said that she and several big food writers were in Italy years ago and given burrata ,the entire room fell silent at the first bite. I’ve never had this stuff but now I want to try it.
We are always looking for ways to use sorrel — it is growing like crazy. Beautiful dish. As always.
Vegetable Matter, my sorrel grows like a weed and I can never understand why it is sold in such tinny/expensive packages in the stores! It’s the first herb in my perennial herb garden that comes up every spring. This year I am experimenting with using it raw. I love its lemony flavor and crisp leaves.
This looks terrific! I will get some white asparagus (still no sight of the green one)…..to try! Thanks for the recipe.
My goodness Viviane, this marriage of flavors sounds like an incredible sensual experience! Yum! Yum! Yum!
You are so gifted, my friend. Watching you set your creative talents free is pure bliss. ♥
Maryse
Thank you so much dear Maryse! You are too kind…
This sounds tempting what better way to use tender asparagus. Thanks for sharing.
Asparagus with burrata sounds fantastic, and now I want to try Tahitian lime oil! Lovely!