Asparagus gratin with walnuts
Asparagi gratinati
► SERVES 4
► PREPARATION 20 minutes
► COOKING 20 minutes
In the 1970s, ‘flexi time’ was a new thing. The paint factory where Papà worked allowed him to work extra hours from Monday through to Thursday, then finish work early on a Friday. That’s when he would do the weekly shopping for the family, broadly following Mamma’s handwritten shopping list – leaving out some of the items he didn’t like, much to her chagrin, but buying extra of whatever produce was in season. Finding asparagus heralded the start of spring, he would happily buy plenty, so Mamma could make asparagus risotto, asparagus with eggs, asparagus bundles with prosciutto, or asparagus gratin. Mamma would use dried breadcrumbs in her gratin, but I love using crushed walnuts, making the dish gluten-free and accenting the asparagus wonderfully.
• 750g asparagus spears; thicker stems are better
• 40ml dry white wine (or reserved asparagus cooking water)
• 40g unsalted butter
• 50g shelled walnuts, coarsely crushed
• 75g grated parmesan
• handful of chopped
