Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan

These roasted asparagus make the perfect side dish roasted with just a sprinkle of garlic and parmesan. It takes only 20 minutes to make and can accompany almost any main courses.

What do you serve alongside a big meal? I mean if you have a roast turkey or roast chicken it's nicer to serve a light veggies dish. Right? In our home salads, sides and appetizers are more popular than any main course. My kids do love their veggies so I must say I am blessed that I do not have to load them in cheese or white sauce.

So often when I make things like a roast chicken, prime ribs, leg of lamb kinda dishes I go with veggies like this roasted asparagus, sauteed asparagus or green beans. My kids love baked carrot sticks or baked butternut squash. Ziv and me also fancy baked eggplant or a light crostini very much.

---

About these asparagus

This oven-roasted garlic and parmesan asparagus are just what you need to serve on the side of the main meal. You need just a handful of ingredients and 15 minutes in the oven.

This is really a no-fuss recipe and made often in our home because it's much healthier. My kids aren't really open to eating asparagus on their own. They do enjoy beans and broccoli without any cheese but somehow we need help with asparagus. In this case, the cheese does the trick. The pan juices with the olive oil work great with bread too.

The Cheese in this recipe is not a whole lot. You don't need a ton of cheese on veggies! But the three tables add so much flavor and takes a simple vegetable dish to comfort food height.

---

Ingredients and substitutes

• Asparagus - Always look for fresh asparagus with a bright green color. The stalk needs to be tender not too woody. The bottom woody part that needs to be trimmed should usually be no more than 3 inches. That way you get a good long tender stem.
  Cleaning the asparagus - Asparagus is a very delicate and versatile vegetable. And yet, it can also be quite dirty with mud and other dirt stuck to it. So, always wash it clean before you use it. Some groceries do a good job or making them presentable for sale. But, it's always best to clean each and every stem under cold running water, rubbing with your hands to remove any dirt that you see. Place them in a bowl of water (if necessary hot water) to remove anything that may be stuck in between the small leaves.
• Garlic - Here I have used fresh garlic but often I use roasted garlic which really adds a ton of flavor.
• Lemon juice - A little goes a long way but really helps bring out the flavor.
• Cheese - adds a nice nutty and salty flavor. Notice that the cheese is not much and yet it looks like a lot because it's grated fresh over the asparagus.

Step by step instructions  (Pin)

• Preheat the oven at 180 C / 380 F
• Rinse the asparagus under running water to remove any dirt.
• Using your fingers snap off the bottom wooden part of the stem. The tender stems naturally break off the woody part when you bend with your fingers.
• Peel only the thick or discolored asparagus stems, so they cook evenly.
  Tip - I only do this with the thick asparagus if I am cooking them in one piece. This ensures the top and bottom cook evenly. Otherwise, the top/heads become too soft.
• Place asparagus in a baking tray, sheet pan, or baking dish
• Sprinkle with oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder
• Bake for 10 minutes, then grate the parmesan cheese and bake another 5 minutes more.
• Enjoy!

---

Frequently asked questions

SAVE THIS RECIPE ON PINTEREST FOR LATER. TRIED MY RECIPE? SHARE IT WITH ME, PLEASE.
Share a picture of your work with me by uploading an image here below my image on this board. You can also find a collection of my tutorials and recipes here on Pinterest.

---