Baked asparagus with parmesan cheese recipe is one of your favorite, traditional recipes! If you are wondering what to serve with roasted asparagus, you will want to check out our Spicy Grilled Shrimp or Tuna White Bean Casserole! And after all that delicious food, you are going to need dessert!
The BEST Parmesan Baked Asparagus
My kids have never been very fond of asparagus. But guess what, that didn’t stop me from making it for dinner and making them eat it, well because I love asparagus and I’m not in the business of making a bunch of different meals to please everyone. I just don’t have the time for that.
They are finally coming around and lately will eat every bite when I prepare it using this asparagus recipe. There is just something about the salty parmesan mixed with the lemon juice. It is a simple recipe with complex flavor. It makes my mouth water just thinking about it.
You may even be able to get your asparagus hater to eat this baked parmesan asparagus!
If you want to skip all of the asparagus tips and tricks just scroll all the way to the bottom for the recipe.
Baked Asparagus with Parmesan
Roasting asparagus in the oven has got to be my favorite way to eat it. I love to eat most vegetables roasted because it seems to give them this really amazing caramelization flavor. Some of my favorite roasted vegetables are Sweet Potatoes and mouthwatering Salt and Vinegar Smashed Potatoes. This is such a great dinner side to make for company, any holidays, or just every day meals.
This roast asparagus recipe makes perfectly baked asparagus every time. Not only does it taste great, but it also cooks super quickly in just 10 minutes so the texture stays nice and firm. If you like it a bit softer (or you have thicker stalks) just cook it for a few minutes longer. Great served with a bowl of chanterelle mushroom soup.
Make sure to eat this asparagus right after it comes out of the oven, it’s best when it’s nice and hot. After it cools down it can get kind of limp.
Easily Cook Asparagus in the Oven
The best thing about this asparagus is that it only takes about 10 minutes to cook! Roasting asparagus is so easy, it makes the best quick dinner side. All you need to do is rinse your asparagus well. Then snap the ends off. Lay out on a baking sheet, coat with oil, seasonings, and cheese. Roast the asparagus till it is tender and delicious! If you don’t want to make it in the oven visit this stovetop asparagus recipe.
When is Asparagus In Season?
While asparagus may be available year round, if you are trying to buy it out of season it can be expensive and probably not taste as good. The reason asparagus costs so much is because it has to imported from other parts of the world in its off season. That is why it’s important to know when asparagus season is, this will help you to get it for a more reasonable price from your local store. Asparagus season runs from late February until June, but the best asparagus time to get asparagus will be in April, that’s the peak of the season. I can usually find a bundle for under $2, so it is a great vegetable to eat if you are on a budget.
How to Choose Asparagus?
When buying asparagus, you want to inspect the whole bunch. The spears should always be bright green with a whitish base. The stalks should be firm and the tips shouldn’t be mushy. I like to buy asparagus that is thinner in width because it’s not as woody and fibrous as the thicker ones.
How to Store Asparagus?
My favorite way to store asparagus is in the fridge, upright in a container. This is the best way to store fresh asparagus to keep it crisp. You don’t want to go to use your asparagus and have it limp and smushy. Just make sure NOT to rinse your asparagus before storing it or it may start to go bad right away.
- Trim about 1/2 an inch off of the bottom of the asparagus.
- Fill a wide-mouth jar, drinking glass, or container with about a half inch of water so that the asparagus can absorb it.
- Set the asparagus upright in the jar.
- Cover loosely with a plastic bag and store in fridge.
- It will last about 5 days before it needs to be used.
What Does Asparagus Taste Like?
It is kind of hard to describe the flavor of asparagus since I don’t think it tastes like anything else I’ve eaten. It has a a fresh, almost grassy kind of flavor that tastes similar to broccoli, green beans or artichokes. I prefer eating it crisp and not squishy.
How to Trim Asparagus?
There is a super cool trick to easily trim your asparagus that doesn’t even require a knife. All you need to do is hold toward the end of one spear with both hands and bend it. It should snap at exactly the right spot, breaking off the woody end. Repeat this for all of the asparagus spears. This is a great task for children that are helping out in the kitchen.
If you don’t want to break your asparagus. You could also use a good knife to cut off all of the ends. It depends on each stalk on how far up you cut it. But an inch or two should suffice. I would cut a few stalks at a time.
If you have bought thicker asparagus, you can use a potato peeler to peel off the outer layer of the stalk (about halfway up). This will help remove some of the more fibrous parts of the asparagus.
Is Asparagus Good for You?
There is so much I love about asparagus and it’s not only the taste. Asparagus is full of nutrients and vitamins. It also contains a lot of fiber which will help you feel full longer, this makes it a fabulous diet food. It is a healthy and delicious vegetable.
Roasted Asparagus Ingredients
This is a list of all of the ingredients you will need to make roast asparagus. See full recipe below for more information.
- Asparagus: You will need about a pound of fresh asparagus or one whole bundle.
- Oil: Use extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil. I used a rosemary infused olive oil (so good).
- Lemon: The juice from half of a fresh lemon or about a tablespoon.
- Garlic Powder: I like to use garlic powder so I can evenly distribute garlic flavor on each stalk of asparagus.
- Parmesan Cheese: Shred yourself from a block of parmesan, it will give the best flavor.
- Salt: I like to use sea salt.
- Pepper: Use freshly ground pepper.
How to Roast Asparagus
It’s simple to cook asparagus in the oven. The recipe card below will have even more detailed information.
- Preheat the oven. Rinse off all of the asparagus and lightly dry.
- Snap or cut off the ends of the asparagus.
- Coat each asparagus spear in oil.
- Squeeze on lemon juice.
- Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Add the freshly grated parmesan cheese down the center of the spears.
- Bake for 10 minutes and it’s ready!
Recipe Tips
- The asparagus doesn’t caramelize if I use parchment paper, so I bake right on the pan when I make this recipe. You are welcome to use it for easier clean up, but it won’t taste the same.
- I like to put a teaspoon of olive oil on my hands and massage it onto the asparagus coating it completely. Repeat with the second teaspoon if it is needed.
- Roast the asparagus for longer if you like it a bit softer (15 minutes) or if you have thicker asparagus (15-20 minutes).
- If you can only find thicker asparagus, you can use a vegetable peeler to peel off the outer layer of the bottom half of the stalks to get rid of some of the fibers.
- After baking asparagus, add an extra squeeze of lemon for more lemony flavor.
Recipe Variations
- Keep it vegan by leaving off the parmesan cheese. Still very delicious!
- Try using real garlic instead of garlic powder, but there is a chance the garlic can burn.
- Sprinkle with seasoned salt instead of sea salt.
- Pour on a little balsamic glaze to baked asparagus.
Storage Instructions for Roasted Asparagus With Parmesan
- How to Refrigerate Roasted Asparagus: Let the asparagus cool and put in a glass container or BPA-free airtight plastic container or zipper bag. It should last about 3-4 days in the fridge.
- Can you Freeze Roasted Asparagus: You can freeze roasted asparagus, but it needs to be done without the parmesan cheese. Let the asparagus cool off completely before putting onto a clean baking sheet and putting into the freezer for an hour. Next, move asparagus into an airtight glass, BPA-free freezer-safe bag or freezer-safe plastic container. You can also vacuum seal it. Make sure to label the asparagus with the recipe name and date. It should last in the freezer about 6 months in a container or up to a year vacuum sealed.
- How to Thaw Roasted Asparagus: I wouldn’t thaw the frozen asparagus, just bake directly from frozen.
- How to Reheat Asparagus: Reheat frozen asparagus on a baking sheet. Toss with a little olive oil and fresh seasonings, lemon and top with parmesan. Roast at 450° F for 15 minutes until heated through completely.
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Parmesan Asparagus Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound asparagus, 1 bunch
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, about 1/2 a fresh lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400° F.
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Rinse the asparagus and pat dry.
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Trim off the ends of asparagus by cutting or snapping off the ends.
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Lay them out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Coat with olive oil, then squeeze on lemon juice.
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Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and top with parmesan cheese down the center of the asparagus.
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Bake for 10 minutes.
Recipe Notes
- The asparagus doesn’t caramelize if I use parchment paper, so I bake right on the pan when I make this recipe. You are welcome to use it for easier clean up, but it may not taste the same.
- I like to put a teaspoon of olive oil on my hands and massage it onto the asparagus coating it completely. Repeat with the second teaspoon if it is needed.
- Add an extra squeeze of lemon onto baked asparagus for a lemony flavor.
- Roasted asparagus in an airtight container will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
* Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.
Nutrition Information
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