Roasted asparagus with parmesan

Roasted asparagus with parmesan is an incredibly easy way to prepare asparagus but you'll be amazed at how good it tastes as a result. A tasty and versatile side dish.

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I'm writing this as we have snow on the ground, with more still falling, and it is feeling anything but spring-like. In fact, I'm making borscht for lunch it's feeling that wintery. However I know not all of you are necessarily in the same position. Plus, I'm hopeful it's going to warm up again soon - after all the weather has been flip-flopping the last few weeks.

The poor spring flowers were getting all ready to pop out (a couple already had) and I've been breaking out a few more spring-like recipes. And getting in to asparagus again (like in my spring salad). It's something I love, and this roasted asparagus with parmesan is far and away our favorite way to eat it - it even gets my toddler asking for more.

I first had roasted asparagus topped with parmesan a couple years ago when we were heading up to New Hampshire to go skiing for the weekend. We decided it might be easier to leave on the Friday night and have our then one year old sleep some of the way in the car. Since we don't drive regularly, doing a car journey over about 20 minutes was always tough with him unless it aligned with when he was due to sleep!

We stopped for dinner on the way and pretty much accidentally stumbled across this great Italian restaurant and deli. They had a wood-fired oven, made all their own pastas and had an all-round fantastic menu. I got a lovely ravioli dish but also some roasted asparagus as a side. It as so good, I wondered why I had never cooked it that way myself. With so little extra work the flavor becomes amazing.

How to make roasted asparagus

All you do is break off the ends of the asparagus, toss them in salt, pepper and olive oil and roast them for around 20 minutes. When they are almost done, grate a bit of parmesan over the asparagus and put it back in for the last couple minutes.

You can put the parmesan on at the start but it seems to disappear to nothing and feels more oily. So adding later works best. You get a nice mix of some stringy, some slightly crisp cheese but the flavor everything adds to the asparagus is so good.

Tips for preparing asparagus

I would recommend you have nice fresh asparagus for this as if it's a bit past its best, it's more likely to go a little tough and not stay as nice a color when you roast it. Medium-thick asparagus is generally better than thin stems for this. Thin stems will cook too quickly and become overly soft rather than have a mix of softening and bite.

While it may not leave such a clean end as cutting, I like to snap the ends off the asparagus. It should naturally break above the tough bottom that you don't want so what you are left with is all tender.

Serving ideas

This makes a fantastic side for so many meals. Here we had it with lamb chops, roast potatoes and a beet and arugula salad, but it could pair with so much more. Try proteins like steak, panko breaded chicken, grilled, roasted or pan-fried fish or shrimp. You could also pair it with pasta, risotto or grain salads like butternut squash farro salad.

So whatever your weather, put a little spring on your plate with this roasted asparagus with parmesan. It's so easy to make, with a delicious You'll be back for more. 

Try these other easy and tasty sides:

• Maple roasted buttercup squash
• Sweet potato biscuits
• French style peas (with bacon and onion)
• Apple cheddar cheese Yorkshire pudding
• Plus get more sides recipes in the archives.

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Roasted asparagus with parmesan

A simple side that goes with so many dishes.

Prep Time2 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time22 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: 2 - 3

Calories: 83kcal

Author: Caroline's Cooking

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Ingredients

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• 18 spears asparagus approx, around ½ a bundle
• ¼ teaspoon salt approx, to taste
• ¼ teaspoon pepper approx, to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil approx
• 2 tablespoon parmesan grated, approx

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400F/200C.
• Snap the bottom off each asparagus spear and toss them in a roasting pan with the salt, pepper and olive oil. Try to have them in a single layer in the dish.
• Roast for approximately 15-18 minutes until the asparagus is just about tender.
• Remove the dish from the oven and sprinkle the grated parmesan over the top. You should have a thin layer over it all. Put it back in the oven for another 2-3 minutes until the cheese has melted and the asparagus is tender.

Nutrition

Calories: 83kcal | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 371mg | Potassium: 18mg | Vitamin A: 105IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 0.2mg

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