• prep: 20 min
• cook: 0 hr
• total: 20 min

servings:

From Joshua McFadden's Six Seasons, a favorite cookbook. Notes: Bread Crumbs: I love whizzing up stale bread in the food processor and toasting the crumbs in olive oil. If you're not up for this, panko bread crumbs would be fine. I would still toast them in olive oil before adding them to the salad. You also could omit the bread crumbs and add more walnuts in their place. Also: You only need 1/3 cup of toasted bread crumbs for this recipe, but I find it easier to make a large batch of crumbs than a small one. Save the remaining crumbs for other salads, soups, or eggs. They're irresistible!

• a large hunk of bread, to yield 1.5 to 2 cups lightly packed fresh crumbs, see notes
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1 lb. asparagus, tough bottoms trimmed
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• salt to taste, I use Maldon here
• freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• zest from 1 lemon
• Juice from 1 to 2 lemons to yield 1/4 cup
• 1/4 cup lightly packed mint leaves, optional
• 1/4 cup olive oil

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