Asparagus alla Milanese (Poached Asparagus With Fried Egg and Parmesan Cheese) Recipe

By
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Editorial Director
Daniel joined the Serious Eats culinary team in 2014 and writes recipes, equipment reviews, articles on cooking techniques. Prior to that he was a food editor at Food & Wine magazine, and the staff writer for Time Out New York's restaurant and bars section.
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Updated March 27, 2019
20180405-asparagus-alla-milanese-variations-vicky-wasik-1
Vicky Wasik

Why It Works

  • Cooking the egg so that there's a crispy ring just around the white's edge adds texture while still leaving the white mostly tender.
  • A runny yolk creates an easy sauce for the asparagus spears.

Asparagus alla Milanese has just three main ingredients—asparagus, a fried egg, and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese—but don't let that simplicity fool you. It's an elegant and near-perfect dish: the asparagus is poached until juicy, the egg is lacy around the edges and has a flowing yolk that mingles with the cheese to make a flavorful sauce.

Recipe Details

Asparagus alla Milanese (Poached Asparagus With Fried Egg and Parmesan Cheese) Recipe

Active 15 mins
Total 15 mins
Serves 2 servings

Ingredients

  • Kosher salt

  • 1/2 pound (225g) asparagus, woody ends trimmed

  • 1 large egg

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons (22g) unsalted butter

  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

  • Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for grating

  • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook asparagus until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain.

  2. Meanwhile, in a small nonstick or cast iron skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat until foaming. Add egg, season with salt, and cook until whites are just set and the edges are crispy but the yolk is still runny, about 2 minutes.

  3. Arrange asparagus on a plate in a single, even layer. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grate some cheese on top. Slide fried egg on top of asparagus. Drizzle with more oil, grate more cheese on top, and finish with some more freshly ground black pepper. Serve.

Special Equipment

Nonstick or cast iron skillet

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
260Calories
22gFat
7gCarbs
10gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories260
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22g29%
Saturated Fat 10g48%
Cholesterol 129mg43%
Sodium 516mg22%
Total Carbohydrate 7g3%
Dietary Fiber 2g9%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 10g
Vitamin C 9mg43%
Calcium 167mg13%
Iron 2mg9%
Potassium 323mg7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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