Asparagus Recipes: 25 Ways to Cook Our Favorite Spring Veg

Fat or thin, green or white, tender stalks of asparagus are a sure and delicious sign that spring is here. It brings a delicately bright flavor and notes of subtle acidity to any dish. Here are our best asparagus recipes.

Asparagus Basics

In Season: Asparagus is at its peak from February through June, though hothouse asparagus is available year-round in some areas.

What to Look For: Thickness is a matter of taste. (Martha's favorite is jumbo asparagus.) Choose bunches with tightly closed tips and no flowering. Stalks should be bright green and firm (or pale ivory for white asparagus).

How to Store: Asparagus is best cooked the day it's purchased, but it can be kept in the refrigerator for up to five days. Wrap the bottoms of the stalks in a damp paper towel and place in a paper bag; store in crisper.

How to Cook: Watch Martha’s primer on preparing asparagus. She covers everything from the different varieties and how they're grown to how long to cook asparagus and the simplest way to serve it. Sarah Carey makes a case for her favorite asparagus cooking technique: boiling. Whether you're in the mood to boil, steam, roast, grill, saute, or stir-fry, look no further than these easy asparagus recipes.

Blanched asparagus is arranged to look like an egg and decorated with cutout carrot rabbits for this festive Easter side dish. Bookmark it for the holiday, then pull it out anytime you need something green to round out your spring menu.

Using store-bought puff pastry means minimal prep time for this stunning asparagus-studded tart. Serve it with a green salad to balance out the rich, cheesy filling.

Creamy Parmigiano-enriched risotto showcases the bright, spring-green trio of asparagus, peas, and parsley.

Top toasted olive bread with rich burrata cheese, flame-kissed asparagus, and fresh radish sprouts for a quick, utensil-free appetizer. It's just the thing for a garden party.

We love cooking fish in parchment -- no muss, no fuss, and tons of flavor. Here, we've paired wild salmon with spring asparagus, leeks, and a host of fresh herbs, including tarragon, dill, basil, and parsley.

Asparagus is teamed with red onion and two different kinds of cheese -- ricotta and mozzarella -- for this springtime pizza. The heat of the just-out-of-the-oven pie slightly wilts the fresh watercress that's added at the end.

Our take on this traditional Southern side dish takes it to the next level with smoky bacon, creamy bechamel, and nutty Gruyere.

Anchovies give the sherry vinaigrette for this rice-and-veggie salad an umami punch.

This asparagus soup recipe uses every part of the stalk. Even the tough ends are transformed into a quick stock for an extra shot of spring flavor.

We love cooking asparagus in the oven, especially like this: surrounded by store-bought puff pastry and topped with shredded Gruyere cheese. Bake the resulting savory tart until golden brown and serve with scrambled eggs for brunch or a green salad for dinner.

There's no shortage of steamed asparagus recipes, but you'd be hard-pressed to find one this easy and sophisticated. Browned butter adds rich depth, and hazelnuts provide the perfect amount of crunch.

What sets this dish apart from other sauteed asparagus recipes? Bacon, of course!

Asparagus mimosa is a classic dish named for the pretty yellow-and-white flower. Press a peeled hard-cooked egg through a fine, stainless-steel sieve to create the bright and fluffy garnish.

Crisp-tender asparagus spears and tangy goat cheese adorn this chive- and scallion-flecked frittata. Serve it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner -- you can't go wrong!