Roasted Asparagus Parmesan Lemon (Printer-Friendly)
Tender roasted asparagus finished with Parmesan and lemon zest for a bright, flavorful side dish.
# What You'll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 1 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed
→ Oils & Seasonings
02 - 2 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1/2 tsp kosher salt
04 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
→ Toppings
05 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
06 - Zest of 1 lemon
07 - 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Place the asparagus in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
03 - Drizzle olive oil over the asparagus and sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper. Toss to coat evenly.
04 - Roast in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes until tender and lightly browned.
05 - Remove the asparagus from the oven and immediately sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and lemon zest.
06 - Drizzle fresh lemon juice over the asparagus before serving. Serve warm.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Takes exactly 25 minutes from start to table, no stress required.
- The caramelized edges get a little nutty and crispy while the insides stay tender, which is genuinely hard to mess up.
- Lemon zest applied right after roasting smells like you've done something impressive, even though you basically just watched the oven work.
02 -
- Don't skip the parchment paper or you will spend ten minutes scraping charred asparagus bits off the sheet, which defeats the whole spirit of a quick dinner.
- The zest and juice go on after roasting, never before—lemon juice on raw asparagus before cooking turns it a drab color and cooks off most of the brightness.
03 -
- Buy asparagus the day you're cooking it if possible—they lose their snap quickly and taste noticeably better when they're fresh from the market.
- If you end up with a handful of thin, delicate spears mixed with thicker ones, separate them and roast the thin ones for a minute or two less, so everything finishes around the same time.