Five easy asparagus recipes to make before the season ends

A bunch of asparagus spears (uncooked) sticking out of a dark green mug, creating a big shadow to the right of them, on a blue background. Getty Images
Polly Weeks

Asparagus is at its very best in the UK right now, with the short season running from 23 April to 21 June.

In-season spears have sweet, fresh flavour and come packing antioxidants, folate, vitamin K and fibre.

If you're looking for easy ways to make the most of it in your meals, then you've succeeded. Here are five recipes you need to try.

1. Pasta with asparagus and hazelnut pesto

Hazelnut pesto pasta with asparagus

Sure it looks fancy, but this surprisingly simple pasta recipe from Craig Morrison isn't only cost effective (see hazelnuts in place of pine nuts), but it's super quick and will be on the table in 20 minutes.

Get the full recipe.

2. Asparagus tart with honey mustard dressing

A puff pastry asparagus tart, topped with pine nuts on a painted blue wooden board with a sharp knife.

A roll of ready-made puff pastry from the supermarket gets you halfway there with this recipe.

It's a low-effort seasonal dinner by Verity Genco that will up your midweek dinner game.

Get the full recipe.

3. Asparagus with lettuce, peas and mint

Asparagus, lettuce, peas and mint

Spring is in full effect in this vivid side dish by Jesse Jenkins, who you might know as ADIP.

Lettuce is charred, asparagus and peas blanched and plenty of fresh herbs chopped, before the lot is drizzled with an easy mustard and lemon dressing.

Serve it with lamb. Serve it with fish. Just serve it.

Get the full recipe.

4. Spring frittata with asparagus and goats' cheese

Spring frittata

This frittata ticks so many boxes. Easy? Sure. High protein? Absolutely. Meal-prep friendly? You got it.

Julius Roberts really knocked it out of the park with this number, which would be equally great for an easy dinner as for a picnic with mates or midweek lunchbox.

Get the full recipe.

5. Salmon and asparagus traybake

A silver roasting tray filled with chopped asparagus, potatoes, tomatoes and fillets of salmon, placed on a purple board.

This all-in-one traybake is a pretty hands-off dinner, not to mention goes easy on the washing up.

The veg is interchangeable, but we love it with fresh, in-season asparagus, which gets roasted alongside other greens, potatoes and salmon.

Get the full recipe.

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