Grilled Asparagus with Bread Crumbs and Walnuts

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1½ pounds asparagus, tough ends trimmed

5 Tbl fresh lemon juice

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup Dried bread crumbs (recipe follows)

½ cup chopped lightly toasted walnuts

½ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Lemon Basil Extra-virgin olive

Directions:

Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high and grill the asparagus (with no oil) until it’s nicely charred and slightly tender, 4 to 6 minutes, depending on the thickness.

Transfer the asparagus to a wide bowl or a platter, drizzle with 4 Tbl of the lemon juice, season generously with salt and pepper, and toss gently to coat without breaking up the spears. Toss the breadcrumbs, walnuts, Parmigiano, and another Tbl or so of lemon juice. Season generously with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning until the walnut mixture is highly seasoned and delicious.

Add ¼ cup olive oil and toss again. Pile the bread crumb mixture onto the asparagus and gently toss everything together. Taste a bite of asparagus and favas and adjust with more lemon, salt, pepper, or olive oil as needed. Serve at room temperature.

 How to make bread crumbs:

The better the bread, the better the crumbs; I like whole grain. Cut the bread into ½-inch-thick slices, leaving the crust on. Cut the slices into cubes and then spread them in an even layer on a baking sheet (or more than one pan, if making a lot; a 12-ounce loaf should fit onto one pan).

Heat the oven to its lowest setting, usually about 250°F. Bake the cubes until they are fully dry, but not browned. This could take an hour or more, depending on the bread’s moisture and density. Cool fully and then process into crumbs by pulsing in a food processor. The goal is small crumbs more or less the same size, though some bigger ones are fine. You want to avoid too much fine powder, however, so stop once or twice and pour off the finer crumbs or shake through a colander and then continue to crush the remaining big pieces. Store the crumbs in an airtight container. If fully dry, they’ll