how2heroes » Sautéed Asparagus w/ Pumpkin Seed Oil

Sides » Sautéed Asparagus w/ Pumpkin Seed Oil

Pumpkin seed oil has a robust flavor that goes great with asparagus. Kelsey Clark demonstrates how easy it is to sauté asparagus in olive oil, toss in some pumpkin seeds, then finish with a generous squeeze of lime juice, nutritious pumpkin seed oil and a mild-flavored Mexican Cotija cheese. A meal in itself for asparagus lovers or a great side when a quick but flavor-filled dish is in demand.

Print Recipe

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

1 lb asparagus, tough woody ends snapped off
1½ tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
sea salt & ground black pepper for seasoning
2 tbsp pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
juice of ½ lime
1½ tbsp pumpkin seed oil
¼ cup Cotija or feta cheese, crumbled

How-to

Fill a medium saucepan with water. Add salt and bring to a boil
Add asparagus and blanch 2 minutes for thick stalks, 1½ minutes for medium-thick, 1 minute for thinner stalks
Remove asparagus to plate, discard water and wipe out pan to use for next step
Heat olive oil over medium-high heat and add garlic, asparagus and crushed red pepper flakes and sauté 1½-2 minutes
Season with salt, pepper and lime juice, add pepitas and stir to combine all ingredients
Drizzle in pumpkin seed oil, stir to coat asparagus, and let cook 10 seconds
Remove to a serving plate (discard garlic cloves), sprinkle with Cotija cheese and serve