Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan and Lemon

Roasted Asparagus spears are seasoned with with Dijon, Parmesan, and Lemon. This side dish recipe is a vibrant vegetable, served hot or cold.

We love to mingle around the table this time of year. Holidays just do that … we seem to be more intentional about bringing people together.

Asparagus is a springtime produce staple. Asparagus roasted with olive oil and salt is perfect for serving, but Dijon, vinegar, butter, Parmesan, and lemon zest deepen and brighten the flavor for an even tastier side dish.

Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan and Lemon

It’s the perfect side dish, and roasted asparagus is our favorite way to prepare this vibrant vegetable. We love it served hot or cold! Or, if you loved fresh shaved asparagus, give this Shaved Asparagus Cucumber Sesame Salad a try!

Serve it with salmon, lamb, duck, or chicken.

But wait, it’s amazing with ham, beef, and seafood. What is asparagus not good with?

I’ve tried other asparagus recipes, but I keep coming back to this one. Because of the simple ingredients, it’s just my favorite!

Ingredients for roasted asparagus

All you need are these simple ingredients for this healthy side dish:

• Olive oil
• Asparagus, trimmed
• Salt and pepper to season
• Dijon mustard
• White Balsamic or champagne vinegar
• Butter
• Parmesan to garnish, crumbled or grated
• Lemon zest

How to roast asparagus

Print out the full recipe below, but let’s get started:

1. Preheat oven and line a sheet tray with parchment paper. Spread the asparagus onto the sheet tray; drizzle the olive oil and season with salt and pepper, toss to coat, then place on the center rack of the oven and bake.
2. As the asparagus roasts, whisk together the Dijon and white balsamic vinegar.
3. Remove the asparagus from the oven. While the pan is still warm, add the butter, Dijon and vinegar mixture, and Parmesan. Toss repeatedly until the butter has melted, and the dressing has emulsified and thickened to coat the asparagus.
4. Garnish with the remaining Parmesan and micro-planed lemon zest, and serve warm as a side dish.

Asparagus Tips:

1. The roasting time in this recipe will vary based on the size of your asparagus spears—the thicker they are, the more they need to roast.
2. In this recipe I use thin asparagus that requires very little time.
3. Break off the asparagus ends by holding the asparagus with one hand at the base, and the other hand in the middle of the stem. Bend until it snaps, and toss the fibrous part. This ensures you remove the tough base that is not very tasty and is rough to chew.
4. A trick to know for when the asparagus is done is to hold it upright and see how far the top droops over (I prefer a slight bend to ensure that the inside still has some bite to it).
5. Delicious served or cold.

How to serve asparagus:

This asparagus paired with this Oven Baked Salmon with Homemade Blackberry Barbecue Sauce recipe? Hello, Oregon blackberries!

I prepared this recipe two years ago for a party I was catering. It was absolutely delicious , and there was not one bite of salmon left. People were dipping their roasted potatoes in the sauce. I moved and could not find the recipe, so I decided to go online and look for it. So glad I found it. I can’t wait to prepare it again. —RE reader

Or, maybe you’ve served it on a Chicken Salad Board? So good (cold)!

ENJOY!

More asparagus and Easter recipes to try:

Pesto Asparagus Caprese Salad Recipe

Shaved Fennel Asparagus Salad

Asparagus Soup with Lemon and Parmesan

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Roasted Asparagus with Dijon, Parmesan, and Lemon

Asparagus is a springtime produce staple. Asparagus roasted with olive oil and salt is perfect for serving, but Dijon, vinegar, butter, Parmesan, and lemon zest deepen and brighten the flavor for an even tastier side dish. The roasting time in this recipe will vary based on the size of your asparagus spears—the thicker they are, the more they need to roast. In this recipe I use thin asparagus that requires very little time. A trick to know for when the asparagus is done is to hold it upright and see how far the top droops over (I prefer a slight bend to ensure that the inside still has some bite to it).

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Yield: 4

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Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 8 oz thin asparagus, trimmed
• Salt and pepper to season
• 1 ½ tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 ½ tsp white balsamic or champagne vinegar
• ½ Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp Parmesan to garnish, crumbled or grated
• Lemon zest to garnish

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line a sheet tray with parchment paper. Spread the asparagus onto the sheet tray; drizzle the olive oil and season with salt and pepper, toss to coat, then place on the center rack of the oven and bake 5-7 minutes.
• As the asparagus roasts, whisk together the Dijon and white balsamic vinegar.
• Remove the asparagus from the oven. While the pan is still warm, and add the butter, Dijon and vinegar mixture, and 2 Tbsp of Parmesan. Toss repeatedly until the butter has melted, and the dressing has emulsified and thickened to coat the asparagus. Garnish with the remaining Parmesan and micro-planed lemon zest, and serve warm as a side dish.

Cuisine: American

Course: Side Dish

Author: Sandy / Reluctant Entertainer

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