Baked Asparagus with Parmesan Recipe
It's asparagus season, finally! This has to be one of the easiest ways to cook asparagus. Just trim the ends, lay out on a foil lined baking sheet, toss with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and Parmesan, and then bake until done. I eat them like French fries. Addictive? Yes!
It's asparagus season, finally! This has to be one of the easiest ways to cook asparagus. Just trim the ends, lay out on a foil lined baking sheet, toss with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and Parmesan, and then bake until done. I eat them like French fries. Addictive? Yes!
- Carbohydrate 9.05344197832333 g
- Cholesterol 5.50000000700806 mg
- Fat 5.43528042572575 g
- Fiber 4.7627196687103 g
- Protein 7.39326607306284 g
- Saturated Fat 1.63805097557765 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Recipe (242g)
- Sodium 2425.64592382179 mg
- Sugar 4.29072230961302 g
- Trans Fat 0.269496355679435 g
- Calories 102 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C).
- Break or cut off the woody ends of the asparagus spears.
- For an added touch, if you want you can use a vegetable peeler to peel the skins off the base of the asparagus spears.
- Arrange the asparagus spears on a foil-lined baking sheet and coat with the olive oil.
- Sprinkle with salt, pepper and the parmesan.
- Bake until the cheese begins to brown, about 8-10 minutes.
High heat transforms fibrous green vegetables far better than gentle steaming by rapidly evaporating surface moisture before the interior turns to mush. Roasting spears at 400 degrees Fahrenheit ensures the exterior develops caramelized edges while the core retains a distinct snap. Snapping the woody ends off by hand rather than cutting them with a knife naturally exploits the spear's point of structural resistance, preventing waste and ensuring every edible inch makes it to the baking sheet. Olive oil acts as a conductive medium here, transferring heat evenly to the surface cells while salt draws out internal moisture to concentrate the vegetable's natural sugars. Spreading the spears in a single layer without crowding prevents steaming; overlapping stalks trap water vapor, resulting in a limp texture that no amount of cheese can rescue. Grating hard aged cheese directly over the oil-coated stalks allows the milk solids and fats to bind tightly to the vegetable as the moisture bakes off, forming a savory, golden crust within eight to ten minutes. Leftover roasted spears require careful handling because cold storage softens crisp textures. Storing surplus portions in an airtight container lined with a dry paper towel for up to three days absorbs condensation and preserves structural integrity. Cold leftover stalks chopped finely fold seamlessly into morning omelets, where the residual oil and nutty cheese flavor season the eggs without requiring extra fat in the pan. Alternatively, puréeing chilled remnants into a warm vegetable broth creates a quick, zero-waste soup thickened naturally by the residual starch and melted cheese. Utilizing every component of a single bunch keeps grocery budgets lean and stretches perishable produce across multiple meals.
