Sautéed Asparagus and Pears

I experimented with another recipe to finish off the last of the asparagus that I bought in bulk. And to be honest, this one may seem like the strangest way to use asparagus, but it turned out to be the best! This was such a killer combination of flavors. I will absolutely be making this again. I ate it on top of some toast and hummus, but it would be fantastic on its own as an elevated side dish. Definitely give this recipe a try.

Ingredients

• 1-2 teaspoons olive oil
• 12-15 asparagus spears
• 1 medium to large pear
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme or 1/2 teaspoon fresh

Directions

• Prepare the asparagus by washing the spears, snapping the ends off, and cutting into 1-1.5 inch size pieces.
• Prepare the pear by cutting into 4 wedges, slicing out the core, cutting the wedges in half cross wise, and then cutting those half wedges into even sized strips.
• Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat.
• Add the pear slices first since they take longer to cook. Cook in the oil about 2-3 minutes until they have released their juices in the pan.
• Add the asparagus at this point along with the salt and pepper. Cover the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Add the balsamic vinegar and thyme. Stir occasionally while the juices in the pan evaporate. Stop cooking once the juices reduce and are coating the pears and asparagus in a light glaze.
• Transfer to a serving dish or top it on some toast and hummus as I did.