Tomorrow we’re celebrating Mother’s Day in Italy, and a bouquet of flowers is always a lovely gift to give and receive.
But what about a seasonal bouquet of zucchini blossoms? Or artichokes? Or even asparagus? They are not only beautiful, charming, bright, and full of seasonal colour, but they can also become the starting point for a fabulous meal.
So I took the chance to send you a last-minute newsletter with the recording of our live cooking session with Nicki Sizemore, when we did a recipe swap. I cooked her Miso-Maple Glazed Asparagus from her book, Mind, Body, Spirit, Food: Adaptable Recipes and Grounding Meditations for Preparing Meals with Joy and Intention, and she made the Asparagus Salad with Anchovy Dressing from Vegetables the Italian Way. Both recipes celebrate the fleeting asparagus season through simple cooking techniques and punchy pantry staples.
I also created an exclusive 40% discount to celebrate Mother’s Day, valid only today and tomorrow.
You can use it for yourself, or to gift a one-year subscription to your mum, or to your favourite mothers out there: the women who feed us, inspire us, cheer us on, and make our lives warmer, one meal, one phone call, one gesture of care at a time.
More recipes with asparagus
If asparagus are still at the market where you live, here are a few more recipes from the archive to make the most of their short, generous season.
Asparagus and ricotta tortelli. Fresh and zesty, this is a spring pasta dish I prepare often during asparagus season.
Potato and asparagus tortelli. RRicotta adds softness and body to the filling of tortelli, but potatoes can do the same, inspired by the traditional potato tortelli from Mugello.
Asparagus and ricotta crespelle. Spring is the season of fresh ricotta, abundant eggs, and slender asparagus. Combine them in crespelle, an elegant, traditional dish perfect as a main course.
RECIPE. Asparagi con la salsa delle puntarelle. Asparagus salad with anchovy dressing
Excerpted from Vegetables the Italian Way: Turning Simple and Fresh into Extraordinary. © 2026 Giulia Scarpaleggia. Reproduced with permission of Artisan Books. All rights reserved.
Fresh, slender asparagus at the peak of its season is best eaten raw, or thinly sliced and tossed with a punchy vinaigrette. Use this dressing inspired by one of Rome’s most iconic dishes: puntarelle salad. Made from an emulsion of garlic, olive oil, anchovies, lemon juice, and vinegar, the pungent dressing pairs perfectly with the thinly shaved asparagus. It’s the kind of dish that begs for crusty bread to mop up every last drop.
Serves 4 to 6 as an appetizer
1 pound/450 g asparagus
1⁄2 cup/120 ml extra-virgin olive oil
1⁄4 cup/60 ml apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
8 oil-packed anchovy fillets, chopped
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Snap off the hard woody ends of the asparagus. Rinse the spears, then slice them on the bias 1⁄8 inch/3 mm thick. Save the tips and slice them lengthwise. Collect all the pieces in a bowl.
In the cup of an immersion blender (or in a stand blender), combine the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, 4 of the anchovies, and the garlic. Blend until you get a creamy, thick dressing. Adjust the seasoning with salt, if needed, and add several grinds of pepper.
Pour the dressing over the asparagus in the bowl, toss, add the remaining anchovies, and serve immediately.
Note: If you have leftover dressing, refrigerate it in a jar to use for salads, tossed with roasted vegetables, or as a dip for carrot and cucumber sticks.
RECIPE. Miso Maple Glazed Vegetables
Excerpted from Mind, Body Spirit, Food © by Nicki Sizemore used with permission from Storey Publishing.
There’s a sweet spot between life’s highs and lows—a leveling that helps us gain perspective. From this place of balance we gain wisdom and acceptance, understanding that everything that goes up must come back down, and that the low moments of life are just as important as the high ones in helping us evolve and grow.
When we seek balance in the kitchen, we bring more nuance and dimension to our dishes. Sweet balances salty; spicy tempers richness; acid uplifts earthy. For this recipe, play with balance, seeking the sweet spot.
Maple syrup tempers the salty, umami-rich flavor of miso paste in a simple glaze that thickly coats sautéed asparagus, carrots, or turnips.
MISO MAPLE GLAZE
1½ tablespoons white miso paste
1 tablespoon maple syrup
¼–½ teaspoon chile flakes, such as Aleppo pepper, gochugaru, or red pepper flakes
FOR COOKING
1 or 2 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil
Salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter or vegan butter
VEGETABLE VERSIONS
1 pound medium asparagus (not too thick and not too thin—aim for thick pencils), bottom woody ends discarded
or
1 pound carrots, cut on the diagonal into ¼-inch slices
or
1 pound turnips, peeled and cut into ½-inch wedges (if you’re using hakurei turnips, you don’t need to peel them)
FOR SERVING
½ lime
2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions (just eyeball it)
MAKE THE GLAZE
In a small bowl, mash together the miso paste, maple syrup, and chile flakes to taste until the mixture is smooth—a small rubber spatula works well for this.
CHOOSE YOUR VERSION
ASPARAGUS. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Swirl the pan to coat.
CARROTS OR TURNIPS. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over
medium-high heat until shimmering. Swirl the pan to coat.
COOK THE VEGETABLES
Add the vegetables to the skillet and season lightly with salt. Toss to coat in the oil. Let cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned and crisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes for the asparagus or 6 to 10 minutes for the carrots or turnips. Don’t be afraid to let them get quite browned around the edges; those dark bits are going to taste rich and delicious.
Add the butter and the miso mixture, then remove the pan from the heat. Toss the vegetables until they’re evenly coated.
SERVE
Transfer the vegetables to a serving platter or bowl, drizzling any sauce from the pan over the top. Squeeze the juice from the half a lime over the vegetables and season with a bit more salt, if desired. Garnish with the sliced scallions. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Cooking Notes
Hakurei turnips (sometimes called Japanese turnips) are baby white turnips with tender edible skins—unlike regular large turnips, they don’t need to be peeled. They work well in this recipe, although regular turnips work, too.
The miso-glazed vegetables are even better at room temperature, after they’ve had a chance to soak up more flavor.
