Roasted Asparagus with Lemon Ricotta and Almond Date Crunch
This is the best asparagus you’ll ever eat! It’s bursting with flavor…sweet, savory, and zesty and it’s such an amazing combination! And…not only is it so delicious, it makes the most beautiful presentation and it’s quick and easy!
This is one recipe you’ll make over and over again!
The beautiful platter was a handmade gift from my daughter Rebecca and perfect for this recipe! The color of the food went so well with the color of the platter…something you may not have thought about. I didn’t want to use white because of the white ricotta underneath the asparagus so the grey was ideal for displaying.
The only tip I have for making this asparagus is to not overcook it! My asparagus was very thin and I only roasted it for about 5 minutes. Soggy overcooked asparagus will totally ruin this dish!
And…let’s talk about how healthy this is…asparagus, dates, arugula, almonds, ricotta, olive oil, Parmesan and lemon are the only ingredients! The almond/date topping is really what gives it so much flavor and the ricotta pulls it all together with a creamy deliciousness that just explodes in your mouth. The dates and lemon are an unexpected flavor combination and the sweetness of the dates with the tart lemon is just amazing! Can you tell that I enjoyed eating this?
Roasted Asparagus with Lemon Ricotta and Almond Date Crunch
Ingredients
- 2 lbs thin asparagus, cut into 2 inch pieces
- 1 cup sugar snap peas cut in half (roughly chopped)
- Olive oil for drizzling over asparagus
- Salt and Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped dates (more or less to taste)
- 3/4 cup chopped arugula
- 1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds, roughly chopped
- Zest of 1 lemon zest
- 1 cup of full fat ricotta cheese
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Shaved Parmesan for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Place the asparagus on a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and roast until just starting to get tender. If your asparagus is very thin, 5 minutes should do it.
- Add the chopped dates, almonds, arugula, lemon zest and salt and pepper to a bowl and stir to combine.
- Add the ricotta to a bowl and mix in the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
- Smear the ricotta on a large oblong platter, top with roasted asparagus, top the asparagus with the date/almond mixture and sprinkle with the shaved Parmesan. Enjoy!
I finally got a new mirrorless camera just yesterday and I’m so pleased with these pictures! Mine was 9 years old and very tired!
Making these recipes is such a process…first, obviously I go grocery shopping, then prep the ingredients, then make a video for my social media channels, then photograph everything, and then…I clean up the mess! After, I put the video together and post!
I truly hope you enjoy my recipes (and everything else)! In spite of having to clean up the kitchen, I really enjoy making and eating beautiful, healthy and delicious food! Have the best day ever and let me know if you make this!