Perfectly roasted asparagus drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salty Parmesan! This simple and addictive side dish uses only a handful of ingredients but packs so much flavor.
One of my favourite springtime vegetables is asparagus. I look forward to asparagus season and eagerly bring home a bundle each time I visit the grocery store!
This simple Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan side dish is one of our favorites. It takes 15 minutes to make and pairs well with just about anything. In the last week alone we served this Parmesan asparagus with Baked Breaded Pork Chops and Crispy Chicken Cutlets. It is also one we make often when grilling.
Roasting asparagus is easy to do with only a drizzle of olive oil and some salt and pepper. Asparagus really doesn’t need much but if you add, Parmesan cheese it makes a good side dish even better! I mean, can you really go wrong with adding Parmesan to your favorite dishes?
Why we love Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan
- This roasted asparagus side dish is delicious!
- The recipe takes just 15 minutes to make.
- Only a handful of ingredients are needed and you likely already have the simple ingredients on hand.
- Roasted asparagus pairs well with a wide variety of main dishes including all sorts of proteins (shrimp, fish, pork, chicken, beef, etc).
Ingredients in this Parmesan asparagus dish
- Asparagus: One bunch, woody ends trimmed. Check out the “How to buy, store and prepare asparagus” section below for tips on how to buy and store it before use.
- Olive oil: Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil.
- Seasoning: salt and black pepper.
- Parmesan cheese: grated.
- Lemon: optional but highly recommend to add bright, citrusy flavor to the side dish.
**Note: Ingredient quantities and full instructions are in the recipe card at the end of this post.**
How to make roasted Parmesan asparagus
- Prepare the asparagus. Preheat oven to 400F. Place the asparagus in a baking sheet and drizzle it with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and then toss to coat them evenly.
- Roast. Roast the asparagus in the oven for 8 minutes (or more depending on the thickness of the asparagus). To check if it is done, pierce them with a fork to ensure they are tender.
- Add Parmesan. Sprinkle the asparagus with grated Parmesan and return it to the oven for 2 minutes. Serve the asparagus as is or with a squeeze of lemon.
How to buy, store and prepare asparagus
If you are new to cooking with asparagus, you’ll find they are pretty easy to work with but there are a few things to look for when buying.
Asparagus spears come in various sizes ranging from thinner spears to much thicker ones. I find regardless of their size, they are all delicious.
While size isn’t an indicator of a good bunch of asparagus, color and firmness is. You want to look for asparagus with a nice, bright green colour and some white on the ends. You also want to ensure your asparagus is firm. If it looks limp or the tips of the asparagus look soft and mushy, that’s not good.
Once you bring them home, if you aren’t going to prepare them right away, store them upright in a bowl filled with about an inch of water. You want the ends of the asparagus to be submerged in the water in order for it to keep its freshness.
Once ready to cook, you will need to trim the ends. The bottoms of the asparagus are woody and tough to eat so you will need to cut those off. If you hold an asparagus spear in your hand and bend it, the tough ends will naturally break off at that point.
Storing leftovers and reheating
Leftover asparagus can be transferred to an airtight container and stored in the fridge once it has cooled.
To reheat it, place it on a baking sheet and toss it with a little more olive oil. Heat it in the oven at 375F until warmed through.
What to serve with roasted asparagus
This versatile side dish goes well with so many dishes. Some of our favorites that we have served it with include:
- Pork dishes: Traditional Pork Souvlaki, Pork Chops, Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Peach Glaze.
- Beef dishes like steak or Slow Cooker Roast Beef.
- Chicken dishes: Slow Cooker Chicken and Potatoes, Crispy Chicken Cutlets, Greek Spanakopita Chicken Meatballs.
- Shrimp and fish: Air Fryer Shrimp, Shrimp Cakes, Panko Crusted Fish, Almond Crusted Salmon, Baked Herb Butter Salmon.
- Vegetarian dishes: Baked Eggplant, Zucchini & Feta Quiche, Potato Leek Frittata, Crustless Zucchini Pie
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do! Bon appetit!
You may also like:
Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus
Sauteed Swiss Chard
Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan
Ingredients
- 1 bunch asparagus ends trimmed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 1/3 cup Parmesan grated
- squeeze of lemon, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Place the asparagus in a baking sheet and drizzle it with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and then toss to coat them evenly.
- Roast the asparagus in the oven for 8 minutes (or more depending on the thickness of the asparagus). To check if it is done, pierce them with a fork to ensure they are tender.
- Sprinkle the asparagus with grated Parmesan and return it to the oven for 2 minutes. Serve the asparagus as is or with a squeeze of lemon.
Note: Metric ingredient measurements are provided as a courtesy using a third-party calculator and are rounded to the nearest unit. The recipes provided on this site have not been tested with metric measurements and their accuracy cannot be verified.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is based on third-party calculations and is an estimate only. Accurate nutritional facts will vary based on the particular brands used, portion sizes, measurement accuracy and more.
