Easy Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan only needs a few ingredients and about 12 minutes in your convection oven for crispy asparagus with garlic and Parmesan—perfect for any meal.
🥣Ingredients
Asparagus
Olive oil
Garlic
Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper
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Featured Comment from Lara:
"Yummy. Super simple and one of my favorite ways to roast almost any veggie!"
A company-worthy healthy dish with only 5 minutes of prep time and about 12 minutes in your convection oven. A convection oven produces a nice browning, but a regular oven can be used.
I only cook asparagus in the oven or on the grill to get a great finish. Roasting veggies like asparagus in the oven is a simple way to bring out great taste with minimal work, while the grill will add some char.
This healthy recipe will fit a healthy diet like a low-calorie or low-fat diet or even a low-carb keto diet.
👨🍳How to Make Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan
Preheat oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional—clean and trim 1 pound of asparagus.
Combine 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2-4 cloves crushed garlic, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
Place asparagus on a baking pan. Coat with the oil mixture. Clean hands are allowed.
Spread the asparagus evenly in a single layer on a baking pan with sides and sprinkle with ¼ cup of grated Parmesan cheese.
Bake until you can pierce the thick end of the asparagus with a fork and brown—about 12-15 minutes. Thin asparagus may take as little as 9 to 10 minutes, whereas thicker asparagus may need 15 or more.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
⏲️How long to bake asparagus
In a 400° convection oven, baking time for medium-thick asparagus will be 12-15 minutes. Cooking time will vary by the thickness of the asparagus, the oven temperature, and the level of doneness you want.
Bake until you can pierce the thick end of the asparagus with a fork. Thin asparagus may take as little as 9 to 10 minutes, whereas thicker asparagus may need 15 to 20 minutes.
The best oven temperature
The best oven temperature for baking asparagus is 400° convection or 425° conventional oven. Covenction is preferred for better browning.
You can easily bake at different oven temperatures with or without convection if using the oven for another dish. For example, at 350° conventional, thicker asparagus may take 25 minutes or more.
How to Choose the Freshest Asparagus
What should you look for in the freshest asparagus?
- Color—vibrant colors with dark green and a tinge of violet on top are the best.
- Size—not to think and not too skinny. Thick can be woody, and thin will tend to overcook easily.
- Feel—firm and not limp.
- Ends—not dried out.
When and Where to Buy?
The best asparagus is during the growing season in your area. In Michigan, it is early May and ends in mid-to-late June. In other regions of the country, it may start as early as February.
Buy as local as possible. The farm or farmers' market is the best. Depending on how they source things, your local market may be ok.
🔪How to Trimming Asparagus—Snap or Cut
The great debate rages. Should you snap or cut asparagus?
Over the years, most experts have suggested that snapping the woody ends of asparagus stalks will magically break at the correct point. The idea was that the tough base would meet the tender shaft at this natural breaking point.
Well, not so much, it turns out. According to Cooks Illustrated, you are throwing out lots of your tasty asparagus. Just cutting off a bit of the end will not waste as much since the snap method is inaccurate on where it breaks.
Cooks Illustrated suggests trimming 1 inch and then peeling the woody exterior if thick. This has been my method for several years now.
Serving
Serve with Grilled Strip Steak, Grilled Ribeye Steak, Ribeye Roast, or most chicken recipes like Baked Chicken Breasts. You will love these other side dish recipes, like Grilled Asparagus, Green Beans with Bacon, Green Beans with Toasted Almonds, or Crispy Smashed Potatoes.
🍽️Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3 days.
Reheat in a hot oven in a single layer on a baking sheet. You can use a microwave, but it will have a poorer texture.
❓FAQs
It needs more than a bag and the crisper in the refrigerator. Put about an inch of water in a tall jar, cut about an inch off the asparagus spears, and place them in the water. DO NOT WASH. Cover the container and asparagus with a loose plastic bag.
No, trim the end, rinse, and pat dry. There is no need to soak or blanch asparagus before roasting.
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Have you tried this recipe, or have a question? Join the community discussion in the comments.
📖 Recipe
Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan
Ingredients
- 1 pound asparagus
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2-4 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt - to taste
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional—clean and trim 1 pound of asparagus.
- Combine 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2-4 cloves crushed garlic, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
- Place asparagus on a baking pan. Coat with the oil mixture. Clean hands are allowed.
- Spread the asparagus evenly in a single layer on a baking pan with sides and sprinkle with ¼ cup of grated Parmesan cheese.
- Bake until you can pierce the thick end of the asparagus with a fork and brown—about 12-15 minutes. Thin asparagus may take as little as 9 to 10 minutes, whereas thicker asparagus may need 15 or more.
Your Own Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- Pick the best fresh asparagus. See the discussion in the post for tips.
- Cutting to trim the asparagus ends about 1 inch and then peal a little of the skin if thick.
- We love garlic and use 4 cloves for this, but 2 cloves would be standard.
- When you coat the asparagus with the oil solution, be sure the tray gets coated also.
- About 10-15 minutes is tender, but some like a little stiffer asparagus, so time it to taste.
- Thinner asparagus need less time, and thicker needs more.
- Make It with Sesame Seeds or Bread Crumbs: Add some toasted sesame seeds or Panko bread crumbs with the Parmesan cheese.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Inspired by Allrecipes five-star rated Oven-Roasted Asparagus.
Editor's Note: Originally Published March 6, 2017. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Jennie
Tonight I needed a quick convection roasted recipe for asparagus. I looked online and this recipe came up. I had all the ingredients, but only 1/2 lb. of asparagus. I simply roasted for only 7 minutes. My husband said it was SOOO good!! He pointed at the empty pan and said "THAT was good! Wow!" So thank you for a great, quick and very delicious recipe. I just subscribed and am looking forward to trying more recipes.
Lara
Yummy. Super simple and one of my favorite ways to roast almost any veggie!