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Nothing goes better with your Easter ham than this lemon Parmesan asparagus.
Simple And Delicious
Asparagus seems to be available year round now. In the past, this was only available when in season which is around Easter time. After it was gone from the markets, it was a one-year wait to get this beautiful veggie. Of course it was always available frozen or canned (BIG YUCK). However nothing ever beat fresh.
I’ve always served this simply steamed. No sauces, butter, nada. Lately though I’ve been simply roasting it with a bit of olive oil sprayed on which is simple and delicious too. It’s only very recently that I’ve gotten, which for me, is a bit adventurous with asparagus.
Hints Of Flavor
As I mentioned before, I love the taste of asparagus itself so for my tastes it never needed any embellishment.
Lately, I’ve seen interesting things to do with it that don’t actually take anything away from it’s own great flavor. So I decided to experiment a bit.
My first foray was making some Butter Crumb Asparagus which was really enjoyable and didn’t mask but enhanced the flavor. I’ve seen many with cheese accents and that’s how I decided to go this time.
My favorite flavoring hard cheese is Romano–and you can use it here too–but I opted for the milder and nuttier-tasting Parmesan. It was a good choice!
Lemon To Brighten
Years ago, I learned a lot about how a dash of lemon enhances the flavor of mostly anything. That was when my late husband had to reduce his salt intake because of a heart condition. One of the first things I read in the little guideline book they gave us at the hospital after his surgery was about using lemon juice and zest to enhance the flavor of food.
That was long ago now but it’s a practice I kept up with (along with reducing my taste for salt even though I have no dietary restrictions). And lemon works oh so well here. You don’t use a lot–maybe a teaspoon of zest on the bunch of asparagus–however, it adds just the right flavor. And when it roasts, the zest gets a toasty flavor that’s just magnificent!
The Recipe
Lemon Parmesan Asparagus
Ingredients
- 1 lb asparagus woody ends brokem off
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste if needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Place prepared asparagus on a large bakig sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss until the asparagus is coated.
- Sprinkle lemon zest over asparagus then top with half the cheese.
- Roast for 5-8 minutes or until asparagus is bright green and beginning to sizzle.
- Remove from oven and top with remaining cheese.
Nutrition
Shams says
Its a must try for vegetarian. Definitely going to try! I think, my family would love it. What happens if I leave out the olive oil?
Judith Hanneman says
It probably wouldn’t cook evenly or just dry out.
Chris Harris says
Please add me to your email list.
Judith Hanneman says
Hi Chris–on the right-hand side of of the home page, you’ll see the sign up box. Depending on how long it’s been since your last visit, there may be a pop-up box too.
Michael Simmons says
I don’t think you can ever go wrong with the flavors of parmesan and lemon together. And I really love a good asparagus dish also! Definitely a great side I will be making this week. Thank you, Judith, for sharing this interesting recipe!
Michael Simmons recently posted…Best Citrus Juicer in 2019