Sauteed Asparagus on Goat Cheese with Dukkah and Spinach Pesto Oil
This recipe for sautéed asparagus on goat’s cheese with dukkah and spinach pesto oil makes a fantastic light starter or a side dish for fish, skewers or chicken or serve it mezze-style as one of an array of snacks and appetisers. The spinach pesto makes more than you’ll need for this dish, so transfer what you don’t use to a jar, pour a little extra virgin olive oil on top and refrigerate.
Servings: 1 Sharing Plate
Calories: 2763kcal
Ingredients
Spinach Pesto
- 3 cups baby spinach leaves washed and dried
- 1 garlic clove pounded with a pestle
- ½ cup mixed nuts almonds, walnuts, cashews, peanuts, whatever you like
- ½ cup Parmesan grated
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cracked black pepper
Asparagus
- 200 g goat’s cheese preferably spreadable
- 1 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley small leaves only or finely chopped, divided
- 1 tbsp fresh dill small sprigs, divided
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil divided
- 12 asparagus spears washed and dried
- ¼ tsp flaky sea salt
- ¼ tsp ground cracked black pepper
- 2 tbsp dukkah see recipe
Instructions
- Make the spinach pesto: toss the baby spinach leaves, pounded garlic clove, mixed nuts, grated Parmesan, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and cracked black pepper in a small food processor or blender and blitz until you have a smooth paste – or pound everything together in a mortar and pestle.
- Cook the asparagus: coat a frying pan over medium heat with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil; when the oil is hot and shimmering, add the asparagus spears, flaky sea salt and ground cracked black pepper, and sauté for 5-10 minutes until the asparagus is cooked to your liking. Five minutes will result in tender asparagus spears that are still firm, but cook the asparagus for ten minutes or more if you prefer the spears softer.
- Prep the serving plate: use a large tablespoon to spread the goat’s cheese out onto a serving plate, so it has a rustic, textured appearance. Sprinkle on half the fresh dill and flat leaf parsley. In a small dish, stir a couple of tablespoons of the spinach pesto and drizzle half over the goat’s cheese and herbs.
- Use tongs to transfer the asparagus spears to the serving plate. Drizzle on more of the spinach pesto oil over the asparagus spears. Sprinkle on the dukkah, grind on a little more cracked black pepper and sea salt, and serve with crusty sourdough.
- To serve: more extra virgin olive oil to drizzle on top, flaky sea salt and cracked black pepper, and warm sourdough on the table.
Nutrition
Calories: 2763kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 80g | Fat: 263g | Saturated Fat: 66g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 28g | Monounsaturated Fat: 158g | Cholesterol: 128mg | Sodium: 3449mg | Potassium: 1654mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 13244IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 1135mg | Iron: 16mg