Roasted Asparagus and Hazelnut Salad

I love, love, love asparagus!

I also adore salads in the summer. They are so fresh and easy. This roasted asparagus can just be easily thrown on the grill and you don’t have to heat up the oven or slave over a hot stove.

This tasty salad is a summer staple at my house. It’s so fresh and flavorful! I like to serve it to guests because I can make it in advance, but we also eat it at home all the time!

MAKES 4 SERVINGS • PREP TIME: 15 minutes • COOK TIME: 10 minutes

• 1/3 cup hazelnuts

• 2 bunches asparagus (about 2 pounds), tough ends snapped off and discarded, then peeled (see Cook's Note)

• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

• Sea salt

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

• Freshly ground pepper

• 4 cups loosely packed arugula
  

  DIRECTIONS:
  Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet. Put them in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes as it preheats, until aromatic and browned. Transfer to a plate or, if you’d like to remove the skins for a more refined texture and appearance, wrap them in a towel and give them a good rub. The majority of the skins will come right off. Coarsely chop the hazelnuts.Put the asparagus on the same baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle with the 2 teaspoons of olive oil and generously sprinkle with salt. Toss gently to evenly coat the asparagus. Bake for 8 minutes, until just barely tender. You can also drizzle with olive oil and toss on the grill. Put the lemon juice, the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and a few grinds of pepper in a small bowl and mix well with a small whisk.Put the arugula in a large bowl. Drizzle with half of the dressing and toss until evenly coated. Mound the arugula on individual plates or a platter and arrange the asparagus on top. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and sprinkle the hazelnuts on top.

  VARIATION: Substitute toasted pistachios or walnuts for the hazelnuts.COOK'S NOTE: Peeling the asparagus gets rid of the stringy, some- times tough outer layer and exposes the sweet flesh underneath. To peel it, use a regular vegetable peeler with a light touch to shave off just the skin. This technique is not necessary with thin asparagus spears.