Lemon Garlic Asparagus with Parmesan is a quick and easy vegetable side that's full of flavor. The combination of fresh lemon juice, minced garlic, and grated Parmesan is incredible. All you need to finish the dish is a sprinkle of kosher salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper.
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How to prepare asparagus
My mamma taught me how to clean asparagus. I thought she would go ballistic when she caught me wasting one-third of the asparagus stalk.
It was Easter and I was helping her get ready for dinner; I volunteered to get the vegetable ready for the lemon garlic recipe. After rinsing the bunch in cold water, I trimmed off the bottom. I took one stalk, bent it in half until it popped.
I lined up the broken piece next to the rest of the asparagus stalks. As I started to cut the asparagus stalks the same size as the broken tip, mamma said, " Ma, che cosa fai?" {what are you doing?}
"I'm cutting off the woody part of the asparagus," I answered in Italian. We always speak Italian at home.
How to trim the asparagus stalk
Mamma shook her head no and said, "You're throwing away one-third of the stalk. You might as well cut your dollars off, too."
"The bottom parts are too tough to eat. What do you want me to do with them?"
Mamma went to the pantry. When she returned she handed me the vegetable peeler. "You shave the ends and they will be just as tender as the rest of the stalk when they cook."
I attacked the stem with the peeler. First, one stalk broke, and then another. Oh, boy! This was going to be one long process if I had to peel those small pieces. As if mamma could read my thoughts she said, "Piano, piano." {slowly, slowly}
How to roast the lemon garlic asparagus
No matter how long it takes, that's still how I trim the asparagus stalks, piano, piano. There are people who will argue that it's not worth the time. Put all those ends together and see how much you throw away. It's such a shame to toss out those delicious ends.
Once you get the stalks ready, all you need to do is mince the garlic and squeeze some fresh lemon juice.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Put the asparagus on a foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle the asparagus with extra-virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic and rub the stalks to evenly distribute. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and make sure they're in a single layer.
Roast for 10 minutes. Take them out and give the spears a small shake. Return the pan to the oven and roast for another 5 minutes more depending on the thickness.
Squeeze a little more lemon juice over the asparagus before serving. I love adding lemon to dishes like I did in One-Pan Italian Chicken, or Lemon Garlic Roasted Mushrooms, or Grilled Shrimp with Lemon and Garlic.
Another spring vegetable that looks fancy is our Hazelnut-Kissed Marsala Baby Carrots. They are simple enough to make on a weeknight but elegant enough for your Easter table.
We served the lemon garlic parmesan asparagus alongside our new favorite fish dish. It's Baked Corvina with lime garlic butter and peppers. Be sure to take a bow when your family raves how delicious the roasted lemon garlic asparagus turns out.
Tutti a tavola è pronto!
Un caro saluto e alla prossima.
Recipe
📖 Recipe
Lemon Garlic Asparagus with Parmesan an Easy Roasted Side
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh asparagus
- 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 lemon cut in half
- 3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F. (205 C. ) As the oven is preheating rinse the asparagus in cold water. Trim the very bottoms of the stalks then use a vegetable peeler to peel away the tough outer skin of the ends.
- Line a baking sheet with foil and spray the foil with vegetable oil. Arrange the asparagus in a single layer on the baking sheet. Drizzle the stalks with olive oil, and sprinkle with the salt, pepper, and garlic. Squeeze half a lemon over the asparagus.
- Rub the spears so that they are evenly coated. Arrange them again in a single layer.
- Bake in the preheated oven until just tender about 12 to 15 minutes. Take the asparagus out and give the baking sheet a little shake or use a spatula to rearrange the spear. Return to the oven for 5 minutes more.
- Squeeze the other lemon half over the asparagus and sprinkle with a little more Parmesan if desired.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
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