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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Chrissy
Such a perfect fresh side dish! I love your mom's trick about peeling the bottom parts; that's brilliant!
Rebecca
I absolutely love asparagus, especially with lemon, but I've never roasted it before, can't wait to try this recipe!
Agness of Run Agness Run
I love asparagus so this is the perfect recipe for me, Marisa! Can't wait to try it!
Marisa Franca
Thank you, Agness! We are so happy that asparagus is in season -- we sure are taking advantage of it. Have a great week.
Sasha @ Eat Love Eat
We LOVE asparagus in our house. Just love it!
Marisa Franca
We do too, Sasha! And to think this recipe is so easy to make!
Kitty
My sister and I LOVE to find new ways to make asparagus. I'll have to surprise her with this when I go visit her next.
Marisa Franca
What a nice surprise it will be, Kitty! We've had the asparagus like this four times already in two weeks - we're not tired of it yet. Have a nice weekend. ?
Kristen R
I love this season because roasted asparagus is one of my favorite veggies! love the addition of the parm cheese to make this simple but classy!
Marisa Franca
Hi, Kristen! We had it again the other night and I'm still not tired of it!
annie@ciaochowbambina
Roasted asparagus is a very special treat, indeed! Thanks for the tip! I will use it starting today!!
Marisa Franca
Ciao, Annie! You're welcome. We had roasted asparagus last night. It was so good!
Christine McMichael
I've always had a hard time with Asparagus because of it's bitter taste, but your recipe looks DELICIOUS! I feel like the parmesan, oil, and seasoning would make it taste amazing. Must try this recipe soon!
Marisa Franca
Hi, Christine! I believe roasting the asparagus sweetens it up and the lemon gives it just the right taste along with the garlic and parmesan. If you try it, let me know what you think.
Lisa at celebrate creativity
Marisa, I saw your asparagus on IG and it's even prettier here on your blog.
Believe it or not, I have never cooked asparagus before. I'll give it a try along with you easy stalk-prep tips.
Happy day.
Marisa Franca
Hi, Lisa! Thank you! I think you'll really like making it this way. It gives the asparagus a sweeter flavor than steaming them. Hope your spring is starting out great! Hugs!!
Christine
Wow, thanks for the tip on how to prepare those asparagus stalks. I always thought they were such a waste to throw away, so most of the time I also end up making soup so I could use them. ^_^
Thanks again for the tip, and this recipe!
Marisa Franca
Hi, Christine! If you used the rest of the stalk for soup then you were using them. But if you want the whole stem as a veggie side then peeling is the way to go. 🙂
Gillian Thompson
I love roasting my vegetables, i'm doing this with green beans all the time now and will now do so with my asparagus. I also cut half an inch of the ends but my my husband always chops half the asparagus off, drives me mad. He even cuts inches off green beans!!! Thanks for the tip I'll try to pass it along 🙂
Marisa Franca
Hi, Gillian! Sometimes advice coming from someone else is easier to accept. 😉
Renz
Ahhh. I just got a new trick with the shaving of the stems. I may break a good few too lol. I love roasted asparagus. I usually just do some cheese but I love the lemon garlic combination on them. Definitely will try this the next time I'm roasting up
Marisa Franca
Hello, Renz! Shaving the stems makes all the difference. Happy Spring!!
Priya Srinivasan
What a lovely dish! Amazing flavors, lemon, garlic and cheeese!!! Makes it a great side to any meal! 🙂
Marisa Franca
Thank you, Priya! We are having it again tonight. 🙂
Amy
I had no idea about peeling the bottoms of the stalks and I'm so glad you mentioned it! Love the flavors of this side - asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables and I always look forward to eating lots of it in the Spring!
Marisa Franca
Hello, Amy! Shaving the bottom does take a little bit of time but it's worth it by not wasting any of that delicious stem.
Adriana Lopez Martn
Wow this Lemon Garlic Asparagus look amazing and so easy to make. Love the fact that now are in season so we can find these very easy.
Marisa Franca
Hello, Adriana! Hope you try out the recipe. It's easy and turns out so good.
Diane P.
Just bought some asparagus today, and will try this recipe! I really love asparagus!! In the past I have read that you really should peel the "woody" section of the asparagus, and I have done it several times. But I don't mind breaking off the woody end, because I put it in a pot and make cream of asparagus soup. Another one of my "great loves" (food loves, that is!!)
Marisa Franca
Ciao, Diane! As long as you use the woody bottom, mamma wouldn't say a thing. I've never made cream of asparagus soup because there is a member of this family who balks at cream soups. I won't say his name but I think you know who I'm referring to. Frankly, I love cream soups. Perhaps I should just make for me. 😉
Diane P
That's exactly what I do! And for the se reason!!
Diane P
And for the same reason!
Marisa Franca
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Marisa Franca
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Kathryn @ FoodieGirlChicago
What a lovely Spring side dish! Great tips on how to prepare asparagus too.
Marisa Franca
Hello, Kathryn! If it hadn't been for the asparagus, I think I would have welcomed spring in with fresh peas.
Tanya
Lovely flavor combo. Asparagus is a favorite of ours so I definitely will be trying this recipe. Thanks!
Marisa Franca
You're welcome, Tanya. You simply can't go wrong with lemon/garlic/Parmesan. 🙂
Veena Azmanov
I love asparagus but it's do expensive here. So it's often just a treat food. I love roasting them as a side too. Lemon and garlic sounds perfect.
Marisa Franca
Asparagus can be expensive here too, Veena. We just take advantage of the good price when they are bountiful.
Dene' V. Alexander
Marissa - this asparagus looks and sounds absolutely delightful. Fabulous start to spring!!
Marisa Franca
Hello, Dené! Yes, indeed, asparagus is a great way to start the season.
Chiara
tasty and easy to make,I love asparagus and garlic, lemon and Parmigiano add an extra flavor ! Un abbraccio
Marisa Franca
Ciao, Chiara! Asparagus has always been one of our family's favorites. Abbracci!
Pam Wattenbarger
Asparagus was on sale at Aldi the other day so I picked up four packages. I was just wondering what I should do with it.
Marisa Franca
Yay!! You'll love the recipe. It makes the asparagus taste so fresh! Happy Spring, Pam!
Stephanie@ApplesforCJ
Asparagus is one of my favorite sides. Thanks for sharing about peeling off the ends. I always just break them off but I'm going try this next time 🙂
Marisa Franca
Hi, Stephanie! Don't get those shoe-string thin asparagus peeling won't work and they really aren't that good.
Byron Thomas
I had no idea you could use a vegetable peeler to save so much of those precious asparagus. I'm certainly going to try this, because asparagus is expensive during off season and we love it so much. I rarely buy it except in July and August when the price is better. Now, I can save those stalks too. 🙂
Oh, and I also got an Italian language lesson. LOL
Marisa Franca
Hi, Byron! As I told Stephanie, don't buy the really skinny asparagus - they aren't that good. The ones we got this year peeled like a dream. They are expensive here to except when they first come in season. I would have thought you could speak fluent Italian. 😉
Kelly @ Trial and Eater
Perfect timing! I just bought a bunch of asparagus, and I always have lemon and parmesan on hand. Thinking this is on the dinner menu tonight 🙂
Marisa Franca
Hi, Kelly! You won't regret it. Asparagus is our welcome to spring!! 🙂
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day
I love asparagus! I need to get some. I haven't had any this season yet. And I waste about 1/3 of each stalk. lol
Marisa Franca
You're forgiven for the 1/3 waste, Amy. I used to do the same until mamma corrected me. Now I feel as if she is right behind me waiting for me to grab the peeler and shave away.
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen
Happy spring! I just love asparagus, especially when it's roasted and topped with parmesan 🙂
Marisa Franca
Hello, Kelsie! Happy spring! Yes, indeed, roasted asparagus with parmesan can't be beat.
Megan Marlowe
Oh how I absolutely love asparagus! I could eat the whole bunch by myself! I love adding lemon to mine too and then you bumped it up with the garlic. Genuis and delicious! and the parmesan is a must! YUM!
Marisa Franca
Hi, Megan! Try the garlic -- it adds a whole other dimension to the asparagus. YUM!!
Jovina Coughlin
Perfect timing. I have a bunch of asparagus in the refrigerator, Going to make your recipe with them It looks so refreshing.
Marisa Franca
Hi, Jovina! Let me know how you like the recipe. Our Farmer's Market down here are selling bunches for $1.48. I think that's pretty cheap!
Susie
Good morning, Marisa, Good minds must think alike......I've been on a asparagus kick the last couple of weeks....In season and priced inexpensive for this time of year....I just made asparagus crab leek soup. I still have two bunches of asparagus in refrigerator that will be roasted in oven this week. Thanks, for another super recipe.....love the quick, easy and delicious sides.
Marisa Franca
Hi, Susie!! I'm in the mood for soup! We just don't have our utensils to do anything more than a meat and a side. Your asparagus crab leek soup sounds delicious! Will you share the recipe? Happy first day of spring! It was great talking to you. Love you!
Noel Lizotte
Mothers ... they do get into our heads sometimes. But Oh! The tricks we can learn from them if we only listen.
Lovely asparagus dish ... so full of springtime!
Marisa Franca
Thank you, Noel! Yep! My mamma got smarter and smarter the older I became. 😉
Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts
I love roasted veg!!!!! It is the best way to eat vegetables, they just taste better when they have taken a stay in a hot oven!!
I always snap my asparagus ends off, I will have to try the peeling trick!! (Although I do sometimes use the woody ends to make asparagus stock for soups)
Marisa Franca
Hi, Claire! Okay, you're forgiven. 🙂 You used the ends and didn't toss them in the garbage. The same trick works with broccoli and their woody stalks. And you are right. Roasting just adds another dimension.
Molly Kumar
This looks fabulous and would be such a quick side to add to any meal. I love the flavors of lemon garlic and cheese and now that you got asparagus involved, I have to literally give it a try soon - just bought 2 bunches of asparagus this weekend 😉
Marisa Franca
Hi, Molly! I do hope you make the recipe. It's really easy and the oven does the cooking part so you can do something else. Have a great week - oh! Happy spring!