One of our favorite vegetable side dishes to make is roasted asparagus — specifically, roasted asparagus with parmesan — especially in the spring and warm weather months. It’s affordable, simple, and is the perfect fresh veggie companion to pretty much any hero protein, from beef/chicken to pork… from Italian to seafood and everything in between. Roasted asparagus is so easy to make and the flavor of the dish can easily be changed, depending on the seasonings you choose to use. As a bonus, Eliza loves it and it’s a great way to get her to eat her green vegetables. 😉
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Maybe you already have a go-to recipe and prepare asparagus as a regular side dish, or maybe, it’s something you don’t tend to think of often. Today, I’m sharing a simple method to get a flavorful veggie side so yummy, I bet if it isn’t in your regular repertoire, it will be soon 😉
Sources: Blue & White Platter and Similar | Olive Wood Cutting Board (similar)
Ingredients I use to make roasted asparagus
Because this roasted side dish is so simple and pure, the key is in the prep, cook time, and seasonings. Feel free to mix it up when it comes to seasonings — experiment and make note of your favorite flavors. As a note, Trader Joe’s has some fabulous seasoning blends, from Ranch to (of course) one of my favorite blends for most any veggie — Everything But the Bagel seasoning. I’ll share below what my typical go-to’s are, but in general, here’s what you need…
- Fresh Asparagus
- Olive Oil
- Seasoning Blend(s)
- Garlic Powder
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Parmesan Cheese
Sources: Blue & White Platter and Similar
Kitchen tools needed to make roasted asparagus
No fancy kitchen tools are needed to make this roasted asparagus recipe. But, this olive oil spritzer is an especially helpful addition to my kitchen tool arsenal when it comes to pan roasting veggies. It works beautifully to lightly and more evenly coat the asparagus prior to adding the seasonings — the same can be said for other often roasted veggies, like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, etc.
- Draining Rack
- Sharp Knife
- Cutting Board
- Baking Sheet
- Aluminum Foil (for easier clean up)
- Olive Oil Spritzer
- or, Silicone Basting Brush
- Tongs
- Grater
Sources: Blue & White Platter and Similar | Olive Wood Cutting Board (similar)
Roasted Asparagus Pairs Well With Virtually Every Protein Dish
As I mentioned at the start of the post, in addition to its simplicity, one of my favorite things about asparagus is how versatile it is. Roasted asparagus with parmesan is the perfect vegetable side dish for pretty much any of our dinner proteins/heroes, including:
- Grilled Steak
- Baked Chicken
- Grilled Chicken
- Ham
- Pork Tenderloin
- Chicken Casserole (My recipe is HERE.)
- Fish (My grilled tilapia recipe is HERE.)
- London Broil
- Pork Chops
- Chicken Divan
- Tomato or cream based Italian pasta dishes
- Risotto
- Use as a topping on Chef, Beef or Chicken Salad
Sources: Blue & White Platter and Similar
My Recipe Tip for Roasted Asparagus
A lot of people like to cut the ends off of the asparagus bunch all at once to save time. I used to be the same way. But, Gran Nan is “old school” and switching to her method totally transformed how I prep our roasted asparagus. She breaks the bottom off of each stalk, one stalk at a time, at its easiest breaking point. This method ensures that no woody stems are included in your recipe. There will be a good bit of stalk discarded — sometimes half — that’s ok!
Sources: Blue & White Platter and Similar
Favorite Seasoning Blends for Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan (& Other Vegetable Sides)
If you’ve been here for a while, you probably know that I’m a big fan of Trader Joe’s. (Here are some of my Trader Joe favorites!) They have and continue to come up with some pretty awesome seasoning blends, and I don’t think I’ve never met one that I don’t like. These are some of the ones that I’ve tried that would work well for my roasted asparagus recipe and other vegetable sides. I also use some of these for seasoning meat, chicken and fish.
- Onion Salt
- Everything But the Bagel Seasoning
- Ranch
- Citrus Garlic
- Everything But the Elote Seasoning
- Seasoning In a Pickle
- Chili Lime
- 21 Seasoning Salute
- Cheesy Seasoning Blend
For roasted asparagus with parmesan specifically, my go seasonings are:
- Pepper
- Onion Salt
- Everything But the Bagel Seasoning
- Garlic Powder
- Red Pepper Flakes
(Note: the onion salt and “Everything” seasoning both contain garlic, but I always add more.)
Sources: Blue & White Platter and Similar | Olive Oil Spritzer | Olive Wood Cutting Board (similar)
Did You Know?
Did you know you can eat asparagus with your fingers? It’s actually perfectly proper etiquette to eat asparagus one stalk at a time with your fingers (if it’s not sauced). We typically eat ours with a fork, but the old school manners experts state that it’s perfectly fine (and often preferred) to treat asparagus as a finger food.
Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan
This easy to make vegetable side dish is especially good to make when fresh asparagus is in season.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Asparagus
- Olive Oil Extra Virgin
- Seasoning Blend(s) My go tos are Onion Salt and Everything But the Bagel seasoning blends
- Garlic Powder
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Parmesan Cheese Shredded or grated Parmesan Cheese can be used.
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
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Rinse asparagus and let drain on paper towels or on a draining rack.
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Cut off the ends of the asparagus (or break off the ends...my preference!)
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Line the baking sheet with aluminum foil. (Or, not...)
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Place the asparagus in a single layer on the baking sheet.
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Spritz the asparagus with olive oil. You can even spritz the baking sheet with some oil for easier coating on the sides of the asparagus facing downward.
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Slightly shake the baking sheet back and forth to ensure the asparagus is evenly coated with the oil.
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Sprinkle the asparagus with the seasoning blend(s).
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Sprinkle the asparagus with the red pepper flakes
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Bake for approximately 12 minutes.
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Remove from the oven and sprinkle (or grate) Parmesan Cheese over the top.
Recipe Notes
Cooking time may vary, depending on the heat of your oven and your preference of doneness for the asparagus. We like ours tender-crisp! Also, if your asparagus is really thin, I'd cut the temp back to 400 degrees.
Sources: Blue & White Platter and Similar | Olive Wood Cutting Board (similar)
Totally excited to try this recipe!
Thank you for stopping by, Libbe! This is one of our favorite sides and is so easy to make. I hope you love it!