Bassano del Grappa, Vicenza province, Veneto — white asparagus cultivation in the Brenta valley dates from the 16th century. The IGP denomination protects the specific territory. The Bassano asparagus festival (Mostra dell'Asparago) takes place each April-May.
Asparagi di Bassano del Grappa IGP are the celebrated white asparagus of the Veneto — grown in the sandy alluvial soils of the Brenta valley around Bassano, blanched by earthing up to prevent chlorophyll formation, harvested by hand with a special curved knife, and served with the simplest possible accompaniment: hard-boiled eggs, melted butter, and coarse salt. The preparation is a showcase for the asparagus's qualities — its slightly bitter yet delicate sweetness, its tender yet fibrous texture — with the egg and butter providing richness and the coarse salt the only seasoning. The season is April through June; outside that window, white asparagus from elsewhere is acceptable but the Bassano IGP is the reference.
Asparagi di Bassano at the table is a study in restraint — the white, peeled spears arranged on a warm plate, the egg snow scattered over, the melted butter pooled at the base, the coarse salt alongside. The asparagus is tender, slightly sweet, with the characteristic slight bitterness of white asparagus. The egg and butter enrich; the salt focuses. It is the taste of the Brenta valley in spring.
Peel the white asparagus from just below the tip down to the base — white asparagus skin is tough and fibrous; it must all be removed. Tie in a bundle; stand upright in a tall, narrow pot of salted water (asparagus cooker ideal — the tips steam while the stalks boil) for 12-15 minutes depending on thickness. The asparagus is done when a thin knife pierces the thickest stalk with slight resistance. Drain; arrange on a warm plate. Accompany with hard-boiled eggs (quartered or passed through a mouli), melted clarified butter (or good olive oil in the non-traditional version), and very coarse sea salt.
The Bassano asparagus season is short and the IGP designation means genuine Bassano asparagus is distinguished from Veneto or Italian white asparagus generally. The mouli-ed hard-boiled egg (pushed through a food mill or fine sieve to create a fluffy egg 'snow') is the Bassano restaurant presentation — it distributes the egg more evenly over the asparagus than quarteredyolk and white.
Not peeling the asparagus — the skin of white asparagus is genuinely inedible, bitter, and fibrous; complete removal is mandatory. Over-cooking — white asparagus should have a slight bite at the tip even when the stalk is tender; fully soft asparagus is overcooked. Missing the egg — the hard-boiled egg is not optional; its richness and protein are the counterpoint to the asparagus's slight bitterness.
Marcella Hazan, Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking; Slow Food Editore, Veneto in Cucina