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Sunday Brunch: Asparagus in Bed

Posted by Ed Levine, April 6, 2008 at 8:00 AM

Here's a perfect spring Italian brunch dish from one of my often-used cookbooks, Cucina Simpatica, by George Germon and Joanne Killeen, chef-owners of Al Forno, a wonderful restaurant in Providence, Rhode Island. According to the headnote in the book, "this recipe is an adaptation of the asparagi Bismarck served at Bagutta, a wonderful old restaurant in Milan." I serve it with thick slices of toasted rustic bread brushed with olive oil.

Ingredients

2 pounds asparagus, trimmed
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 eggs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1 1/2 ounces)

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees

2. Spread the asparagus out on a baking sheet in a single layer and brush them with the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and roast in the upper third of the oven until the spears are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about ten or twelve minutes, depending on their thickness. While the asparagus are in the oven, begin frying the eggs until so that they will be ready the same time as the asparagus.

3. Melt the butter in a large skillet. Break the eggs into the pan and cook until the whites set and the yolks are still soft.

4. Remove the asparagus from the oven and divide them among 4 heated plates. With a spatula, place the eggs over the spears, leaving only the tips of the asparagus exposed, and top with the cheese. Drizzle the melted butter left in the skillet over the cheese and serve.

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Tags: asparagus, breakfast, brunch, Italian, vegetarian

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