Italian Roasted Asparagus
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Roasting vegetables is the simplest and tastiest way to make a fast vegetable side dish. Besides roasted cauliflower, asparagus is my favorite vegetable to simply roast in the oven. Even simply seasoned with salt, pepper, and some herbs, veggies taste amazing roasted.
High heat bring out a the natural flavors of vegetables and gives it a nice caramelization on the bottom. Thin, small ends and pieces get nice and crispy too. Crispy ends is my absolute favorite part.
Shaved Parmesan cheese on top is the perfect finish for this simple roasted asparagus, especially when the cheese melts onto the asparagus.
Table of Contents
Ingredient Notes Before You Shop
- Asparagus: try to pick out a bunch where most of the stalks are uniform in size. Get asparagus that is not too thick and not too thin. Really thick stalks will take a much longer time to roast and the cheese will start burning. Very thin stalks of asparagus might be too soft by the time the cheese gets golden. Look for bright green, firm stalks with tightly closed tips.
- Shaved Parmesan cheese: try to get thicker shaved Parmesan cheese. If it’s shaved too thin, it will cook too fast. If the only available shaved Parmesan cheese is very thin, you can always spread it onto the asparagus halfway through the baking time.
- Olive oil: use regular olive oil meant for cooking, not extra virgin, or avocado oil.
- Dried parsley and oregano: I use dried herbs because they go on before roasting. If you’d like fresh parsley too, sprinkle some over the asparagus right after it comes out of the oven.
How To Make Italian Roasted Asparagus
- Prep the oven and pan: Preheat the oven to 425°F and lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet big enough to fit the asparagus in one even layer.
- Wash and trim: Take the rubber band off the asparagus, rinse it in cold water, and pat it dry. Chop off the thick, coarse ends that are light in color.
- Season: Spread the asparagus on the baking sheet, drizzle it with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Peel and press the garlic cloves, then rub the asparagus with the pressed garlic, spreading the olive oil and seasoning at the same time. Sprinkle the parsley and oregano over the seasoned asparagus.
- Arrange: Lay out the coated asparagus in one even layer but close enough together so you can spread the cheese on top evenly.
- Add the cheese and roast: Spread the shaved Parmesan cheese over the asparagus and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden and a fork slides into the thickest part of a spear with just a little resistance.
How Much Asparagus to Plan Per Person
Average bunch of asparagus is about 3/4 to 1 lb and will serve 2-4 people. Of course, deciding how much asparagus to get is highly dependent of what else you will be serving.
If you’re planning on a big dinner with a main dish and several different sides, estimate a bunch of asparagus to be enough for 4 people. If you’re planning a simple dinner with a main protein and 1 or 2 sides, estimate that a bunch of asparagus will be enough for 2 people.
What to Serve with Italian Roasted Asparagus
I serve this asparagus with just about any main dish, and it’s an easy, elegant side for Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas dinners too. Here are a few of my favorite pairings:
- chicken parmesan for a full Italian dinner
- pan seared steak with a baked potato
- roasted pork tenderloin
- garlic butter lemon baked cod
- garlic butter shrimp scampi
- roasted turkey breast with herb butter for a smaller holiday table
How to Store and Reheat Roasted Asparagus
- Store: in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- Reheat: on a baking sheet in a 400°F oven for a few minutes, just until warmed through, or in the microwave for a few seconds. Keep reheating short so the asparagus doesn’t turn soft.
Italian Roasted Asparagus Recipe FAQs
For this recipe, medium spears topped with shaved Parmesan take 10 to 12 minutes at 425°F. Thinner spears finish faster and thicker spears take longer, so start checking at 10 minutes and then every couple of minutes after that. The asparagus is ready when the cheese is golden and a fork slides into a spear with just a little resistance.
I cut them. Keep the bunch together, find where the stalks change from pale and woody to green and tender, and slice through the whole bunch at once with a sharp knife. Snapping is actually not as accurate and it ends up breaking off way more than you need, it’s quite wasteful.
Not for this recipe. Medium spears have thin, tender skin, so they don’t need it. If thick stalks are all you can find, peel the bottom half of each stalk with a vegetable peeler so the tough outer layer doesn’t turn stringy.
Thick stalks still need a few extra minutes, so spread the Parmesan on halfway through the baking time to keep it from burning.
Mushy asparagus is usually overcooked, crowded on the pan, or still wet when it goes into the oven. Spread the spears in one layer, pat them completely dry, and start checking at 10 minutes. Stringy asparagus usually means some of the woody ends stayed on, so cut right where the pale, coarse part of the stalk ends.
Yes, but finely grated Parmesan browns much faster than thicker shavings, and really shouldn’t be cooked long. Sprinkle it over the asparagus during last couple of minutes or even at the end and let the hot pan and hot asparagus melt it.
Trim about an inch off the bottom of the stalks, stand the bunch upright in a glass or jar with an inch or two of water, and loosely cover the tops with a plastic bag. Keep it in the refrigerator and cook it within a few days for the best flavor.
More Recipes From Me
- Creamy Italian Baked Asparagus
- Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Roasted Zucchini
- Roasted Mushrooms
- Fried Cabbage
- Extra Cheesy Lemon Asparagus Pasta Skillet
- Lemon Herb Linguine with Chicken, Asparagus and Snow Peas
- Bacon Asparagus Pasta Carbonara
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Italian Roasted Asparagus Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb asparagus not too thick
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 1/4-1/2 tsp kosher coarse salt more or less to taste
- 1/4 tsp fresh cracked black pepper more or less to taste
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 3 oz shaved Parmesan cheese thicker shave
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F and lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet that's big enough to fit asparagus in one even layer.
- Wash, dry, and trim thick light ends off asparagus stalks.
- Spread asparagus in the baking sheet, drizzle it with olive oil and season with dried parsley, oregano, salt and pepper.
- Peel and press garlic cloves and then rub asparagus with pressed garlic, spreading olive oil and seasoning at the same time.
- Lay out coated asparagus in one even layer but close enough together so the cheese can be spread on top evenly.
- Spread shaved Parmesan cheese over asparagus and bake for 10-12 minutes, until the asparagus is tender but still has a little snap to it.
Notes
- Asparagus size: pick medium spears that are uniform in size. Very thick stalks take much longer and the cheese will burn; very thin stalks turn too soft by the time the cheese is golden.
- Parmesan: use a thicker shave. If your shaved Parmesan is very thin or you’re using grated Parmesan, spread it over the asparagus halfway through the 10 to 12 minute bake time.
- Timing: start checking at 10 minutes, then every couple of minutes after that.
- Store: in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- Reheat: on a baking sheet in a 400°F oven for a few minutes, or in the microwave for a few seconds, just until warmed through.
Nutrition
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Categories:
Christmas Dinner Recipes, Easter Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, Healthy Dinner Ideas, Side Dishes, Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes, Vegetables,All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
I absolutely loved this recipe! It will be made often in my household! Definitely a keeper!
I am so glad you liked it, Sandra!
Great! My husband ate more of them than the steak!!
I am so glad you both liked the recipe, Alison!
The asparagus had really good flavors. It was a great side dish to my chicken Parmesan.
That’s great to hear! So glad you liked it!
Roughly followed this, and put under the broiler for 11min. Was a HUGE hit at our asparagus lover house! Thank you! This is a great side to go with Italian entrees when you don’t want the carbs in pasta.
Thank you, Lori! I love hearing feed back on my recipes and I am so happy you liked it!