Parmesan Oven Roasted Asparagus Recipe

Roasting Asparagus in 15 Minutes!

Parmesan Baked Asparagus boasts all the nutty, caramelized flavors of roasted asparagus, plus the nutty, salty goodness of Parmesan and the tantalizing, buttery, crispy panko! Readers are raving: “This has become my goto recipe for asparagus! Easy and delicious.” “my boyfriend loved them! Requested them again,” and “We’ve had this asparagus the past 2 nights…SO GOOD!”

Follow along for step-by-step photos, expert tips, and delicious variations!

Watch How to Roast Asparagus

 

1. Preheat oven: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  We want a very hot oven to produce a very hot pan that caramelizes the natural sugars of the asparagus for that signature nutty roasted flavor.
2. Prepare baking sheet: You can bake your asparagus directly on the baking sheet or line it with foil for easy clean up. In either scenario,spray the surface with nonstick cooking spray. I do NOT recommend parchment paper because it does not promote caramelization.
3. Prep asparagus: Trim as previously discussed, rinse and dry. Dry the asparagus very well with a kitchen towel or salad spinner so it caramelizes and doesn’t steam.
4. Toss ingredients together: Add asparagus, olive oil, lemon juice, and seasonings to the baking sheet and toss to evenly combine.  I like to toss all the ingredients together on the baking sheet because then you only have one dish to clean up! I like to use my hands because I feel like it combines everything more evenly than a spatula.

6. Spread in an even layer: Try and leave a little room in between the spears so they cook evenly and roast and don’t just steam. You can separate the asparagus between two baking sheets if you prefer.

7. Add Parmesan: Evenly sprinkle them with freshly grated Parmesan. I focus the Parmesan more in the center for this recipe, but that was just for aesthetic reasons.

8. Bake: Bake asparagus for 7-10 minutes depending on size. 

9. Make Panko Topping: Many panko toppings are made by adding the panko directly on top of a dish or vegetable and spraying it with cooking spray, then baking. This works okay, but for the BEST, truly crispy panko topping infused with buttery bliss, you need to toast it first in a skillet with melted butter.  It literally takes minutes and you prep it while your asparagus are in the oven, so it doesn’t add any time to the recipe – but adds tons of YUM! 

10. Serve Immediately!  Oven roasted Parmesan Asparagus is the BEST piping hot out of the oven, it is not one of those vegetables that tastes nearly as good at room temperature so please SERVE IMMEDIATELY.

In addition to seasonings, you can also toss the baked asparagus in all sorts of “sauces” at the end of cooking to change the flavor profile.  Here are just a few recipe ideas:

BALSAMIC Baked Asparagus

Toss roasted asparagus with 1 ½ tablespoons of balsamic vinegar (more or less to taste – will depend on strength of vinegar) after they’ve finished cooking.

Baked Asparagus with Pesto

Omit the lemon juice and Parmesan in the recipe but otherwise follow the instructions. Toss the hot roasted asparagus with 1 to 2 Tbs. pesto, or to taste.

BAKED ASPARAGUS WITH Garlic

Follow recipe for Baked Asparagus but omit the garlic powder and replace with 2 finely minced cloves garlic.

Bacon wrapped BAKED ASPARAGUS

Par cook thick bacon (NOT THICK CUT) by lining a plate with a few layers of paper towels. Line with half of the cut bacon in an even layer, and top with a layer of paper towels. Microwave on high for 3-4 minutes (check at 3 then continue to microwave if needed. I did 4 minutes). You want the bacon mostly cooked but still soft and PLIABLE. Don’t overcook or it will break when wrapping.

Season the asparagus and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap 1 slice of bacon around 2-4 asparagus stalks depending on their thickness to create a bundle. You want the bacon to go up the asparagus so it’s in a single layer. Place the bundle on the prepared baking sheet, seam-side down.

Bake until the bacon is crisp and the asparagus is tender.

BAKED ASPARAGUS WITH BACON

Follow recipe for Baked Asparagus except before popping in the oven, sprinkle with 8 slices of thick-cut bacon chopped into 1/2-inch pieces. Bake according to directions.

BAKED ASPARAGUS WITH DIJON MAPLE BUTTER SAUCE

Whisk 1 tablespoon melted butter with 1 tablespoon balsamic, 2 teaspoons Dijon and 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup. Toss roasted asparagus with Dijon Maple sauce after they’ve finished cooking.

CHEESY BAKED ASPARAGUS

Follow recipe for Baked Asparagus, cooking a few minutes under.  Push the spears together and sprinkle with 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese (more or less). Bake an additional 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Ginger Soy Baked Asparagus

Roast the asparagus for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil and 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger or a heaping ¼ teaspoon ground ginger.

Remove the asparagus from the oven and toss with the ginger soy sauce. Continue baking until the asparagus is crisp-tender then sprinkle with 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds.

BAKED ASPARAGUS WITH SRIRACHA & HONEY

Whisk 1 tablespoon honey with ½ tablespoon sriracha. Toss baked asparagus with honey sriracha after they’ve finished cooking.

Cotija Lime Baked Asparagus

Toss the asparagus in olive oil, garlic powder, salt, chili powder, ground cumin. a squeeze of lime juice and a sprinkling of Cotija cheese before baking.

OTHER ADDITIONS

Try tossing finished baked asparagus with:

• NUTS FOR CRUNCH:  sliced almonds, roasted pecans, toasted pine nuts, etc.
• OR SEEDS FOR CRUNCH:  roasted pumpkin seeds, roasted sunflower seeds, etc.
• DRIED FRUIT FOR SWEETNESS:  craisins, raisins, dried peaches, etc.

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