This lemon roasted asparagus recipe is the perfect side dish to take to a dinner party or serve with a side of protein. The asparagus is roasted and takes under 20 minutes to make.
How are you doing? Just wanted to check in. Things are going okay over here. The weather is keeping me going...a little sunshine can do a lot of good. I am sitting outside on our deck in a dress right now, it's almost 65F. Woohoo!
I wanted to make an asparagus recipe for you guys because 1.) I don't have one on here and 2.) It's been on sale lately! Has anyone else noticed that?! I've seen as low as $0.99/lb. This roasted lemon asparagus recipe just sounded perfect for this time of year too. I know you have probably noticed my obsession with all things lemon lately, like these raspberry lemon cookies and this lemon green bean quinoa salad.
How to make roasted asparagus
The key to not making asparagus stringy or mushy is to pick the right asparagus at the store. I look for a medium thickness and I only roast it for about 15 minutes at 375F.
A good test to do to make sure your asparagus is cooked throughly is to lightly press on the bottom end of the stalk after you've roasted it. Depending on the thickness of the asparagus, you might have to cook it for upwards of 18 minutes.
Another key tip to roasted asparagus is to make sure you cut away the stalky part of the asparagus prior to cooking. You can do this by simply cutting about 1 inch off the bottom or taking the stalk and snapping it near the bottom.
Ingredients
- Pine Nuts: I love love pine nuts. Sean can't have them, so I don't get to use them as often as I would like. If you don't want to spend the $$$ on pine nuts, you can also swap them for walnuts or sliced almonds. Both have an awesome nutty flavor that pairs well with the asparagus.
- Parmesan Cheese: I buy a wedge of parmesan cheese and then shave some off using a potato peeler. You can also buy pre-shaved parmesan or grated.
- Extra virgin olive oil or Avocado oil: Some studies show that avocado oil has a higher melting point and is better for you in high heat situations, while other studies differ and say that this is no longer true. I think that in these quarantine times, use whatever you have. At least you are eating vegetables. Be kind to yourself.
- Asparagus bunch: I always look for medium-size stalks of asparagus. I don't like the thicker diameter stalk. Some people prefer a thicker stalk (I've noticed this in steak houses and Sean prefers it this way!), but I like the quantity over thickness. The smaller diameter asparagus stalks will cook faster and be crunchier when you roast them with seasonings. Just something for you to consider!
Other Spring Recipes that are great for Easter!
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PrintLemon Roasted Asparagus Recipe
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4-5 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This lemon roasted asparagus recipe is the perfect side dish to take to a dinner party or serve with a side of protein. The asparagus is roasted and takes under 20 minutes to make.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of asparagus
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2-3 tbsp avocado oil or EVOO
- Pinch of salt & cracked black pepper
- half a lemon, juiced
- 2 tbsp pine nuts (can sub walnuts)
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, shaved or grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 and set aside a baking sheet for the asparagus.
- Wash and trim 1 inch (or the stalky part) off the bottom of the asparagus. Pat dry.
- Place the dry asparagus on the baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, garlic powder, salt and cracked black pepper.
- Roast at 375F for 15-18 minutes, depending on thickness of asparagus.
- While the asparagus is roasting, toast the pine nuts for 1-2 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly in a small sauté pan.
- Once the asparagus has finished cooking, remove from the oven, squeeze half a lemon over the asparagus, sprinkle the toasted pine nuts and top with parmesan cheese.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Can sub walnuts for pine nuts.
If you have littles that will eat asparagus, I recommend cutting up into bite size pieces before roasting. It makes it easier to serve because I hate the sound of the knife on the plate when you are trying to cut it after cooking.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: side dish
- Method: roasting
- Cuisine: American
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