Recipe: Warm Asparagus Spears with Pine Nuts

Nothing says spring like asparagus! Fresh from the garden, it's a true spring treat that is unlike anything else. Cooking it, however, can be tricky. The best way to do it is to keep it simple and let the unique flavor of the vegetable shine through.

Tender, but not overcooked asparagus is often a fine art. In these recipe, we steam the asparagus lightly before sautéing it with red wine vinegar. The final touch is chopped pine nuts sprinkled on top. Just a little goes a long way. This makes a great vegetarian side dish. If you're an Ovo-Lacto vegetarian, you can also vary the dish by adding a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese at the end.

Warm Asparagus Spears with Pine Nuts

Ingredients:

1 bunch of asparagus
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Chopped pine nuts

Directions:

• Cut or snap off the tougher ends of the asparagus stems and steam the spears for about 3 minutes.
• After the asparagus has steamed, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the red wine vinegar and asparagus and sauté for about 2 minutes. 
• When the asparagus starts to brown slightly it’s ready. 
• Season it with salt and pepper and topped with chopped pine nuts.