Baked Asparagus with Lemon, Butter and Parmesan
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It’s the perfect side dish; baked asparagus spears in a lightly seasoned lemon butter with parmesan cheese. Now that’s hard to beat! Asparagus is in season and it’s fairly cheap right now! I’ve tried several fancy asparagus recipes but I keep coming back to this one. Maybe it’s because I usually have all the ingredients in the pantry? Or maybe it’s just my favorite!
Ingredients for Baked Asparagus with Lemon:
2 bunches asparagus
1 lemon
4 Tbsp butter
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
How to Make the Best Baked Asparagus with lemon butter:
1. Rinse 2 bunches of asparagus.
2. Break off the ends by holding the base end and snapping it wherever it snaps. This way you won’t be chewing a fibrous end for 5 minutes. And it’s way easier than having to peal each one with a potato peeler. Can you imagine doing that? I’ve done it before and it’s just not worth the trouble!
3. Place asparagus in a large baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
4. Squeeze 1/2 of a lemon over the asparagus. Line the top third of the asparagus with lemon slices from the other half of your lemon (optional).
5. Thinly slice 4 Tbsp of butter and line the center of the asparagus with butter (don’t worry, most of the butter will end up on the pan and not on your waist line).
6. Bake at 400˚F for 12 minutes or until asparagus is tender. Remove asparagus from the oven and set oven to Broil.
7. Sprinkle the center of the asparagus with parmesan cheese and broil 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden.
Enjoy Enjoy!!
Baked Asparagus with Lemon, Butter and Parmesan
Ingredients
- 2 bunches asparagus
- 1 lemon
- 4 Tbsp butter
- Olive oil
- Salt & Pepper
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
-
Rinse 2 bunches of asparagus and break off the ends by holding the base end and snapping it wherever it snaps.
-
Place asparagus in a large baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
-
Squeeze 1/2 of a lemon over the asparagus. Line the top third of the asparagus with lemon slices from the other half of your lemon (optional).
-
Thinly slice 4 tbsp of butter and line the center of the asparagus with butter.
-
Bake at 400°F for 12 minutes or until asparagus is tender. Remove asparagus from the oven and set oven to Broil.
-
Sprinkle the center of the asparagus with Parmesan cheese and broil 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden.
Enjoy Enjoy!!
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Can you use frozen asparagus ?
Hi Paulette! I haven’t tested this with frozen to advise. We LOVE it with fresh though!
Looks wonderful! I will give a try!
I hope you love this recipe Meri!
I love this recipe! I ended up keeping them in the over for 30 mins to make sure they were nice and soft inside. The hint of lemon on them was absolutely perfect. It’s going to be a regular in my house from now on. Thank you for posting it!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe Megan!
I love all your recipes. Do you have a cookbook?
Hi Donna! We do not at this time but one is in the works! If you experiment, please let me know how you like this recipe!
Can you recommend a good air fryer recipe book? I just bought one and I need to know how to air fry different things, including the cooking time. Thanks in advance!
Hi Thomas, I know Gina of Skinny Taste has a great air fryer cookbook out which is the one I own.
This was great.
I am making this tonight with Bqq pork chops!
Now that’s a good dinner, Alfonso! Thank you for sharing that with me!
I made this last night to accompany Shrimp Scampi (A spicier version than normal). It could not have been a more perfect balance! The brightness of the lemon on the asparagus made for a refreshing side! And the addition of the sliced lemons was an eye-pleasing presentation!
Thank you for all you do here!!!
Hi Rick! I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
I love crepes (not sweet). Do you have any recipes I can make. They seem to be out of style these days.
Thank you so much.
Hi Barbara! We have some on our blog here! I hope that helps.
I only have one oven and want to make the lobster tails with the asparagus .Can I make the asparagus first and just cover with foil while I make the lobster tails ? Thanks ! Love your site 🙂
Hi Char! I think that could work!
Thanks for your reply ! 🙂 I just love your site and the asparagus looks delicious ! I love the salmon recipe also .
Delicious! Made as a side to your Chicken Piccata and not a spear was left! Thank you for another delicious recipe!
You’re welcome Ellen! I’m glad you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Best asparagus EVER!
Awesome! I’m glad you love it Dorene!
This was delicious!! Always had issues with making asparagus, this was very easy to make! Thank you for sharing!
I’m so happy you liked the recipe! Thank you for the great review! 🙂
I never liked asparagus until I tried this recipe, and ever since never stopped making it. It delicious!
Ha! That’s awesome!
Natasha this what I lookin for. Thank you so much. Blessings to you !!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you Nina 😁.
Made this tonight. I usually do similar variations to this but this was by far the best. The cooking times WERE perfect as other stated. Love the melted parm and lemon combo!! Bravo!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed the asparagus! And, now I’m craving asparagus! 🙂
Made this tonight for dinner and it was delicious!!! My husband and my kids loved it. I will definitely make this again and share the recipe with others. I also added garlic, it was amazing
Thank you so much for sharing the recipe with others. Good things are meant to be shared; that’s my motto 🙂 I’m so happy you and your family loved the recipe!
I love your web site by the way!!! so many wonderful recipes!!! something that i never used to eat before like asparagus, and looked at this recipe and it looks so delicious and easy, that I just gotta try to make it!!
I hope you loved this recipe! It’s definitely our favorite way to prepare asparagus and it’s fancy enough to serve at a dinner party, but still easy! 🙂
Hi, its a great recipe!! cant wait to try it! but wouldn’t that be easier to just cut off all the ends with a knife all at once?
I like to break them because they are fibrous at different levels on the stem. Snapping them seems to result in a lower incidence of chewy stems. I’ve also seen the technique of peeling the stem bottoms with a potato peeler, but that would take considerably longer 🙂
Hi there, great recipe but I was perplexed by the quantity of asparagus. A bushel is an imperial measurement equivalent to 8 gallons in both Canada and the US. Do you mean bunches?
Karen, you are absolutely right, I will have that changed right away.
This was so good! I halved the recipe since it was just me and added grated parmesan since I didnt have fresh. Oh this was such an easy, fun, and delicious recipe! I paired it with honey chipotle encrusted salmon. Excellente! Thank you 😀
You are welcome Nikki, I hope you will find some favorites on the site :).
Hi Natasha, do you think this will be good with Mozzarella cheese instead of Parmesan? Have you tried any other cheeses?
I think it would be fine. Mozarella might brown a little faster than parmesan, but I still think it would work well.
Hey Natasha! How are you? I think a great addition to this already amazing recipe would be some garlic 🙂 I love garlic in pretty much everything (other than desert of course 😉 ). But I think that garlic with asparagus adds a little something special. Thanks for your blog, I love how you do this and inspire the rest of use to make scrumptious food 🙂 (Now I see I’m not the only one mentioning garlic hehe)
Yep! Yep! I’m definitely adding garlic to the mix next time. Have you tried garlic with lemon?
No, honestly I dont make really make asparagus. I was skeptical to try it al first but when I did I loved it but haven’t ventured out to make it yet. Was looking for the perfect recipe, which I think yours will be it! The pictures are amazing and it all looks so good 🙂
Oh Tanya it’s so simple and tasty! 🙂 let me know what you think.
K, I’ll try to make it for dinner tonight or tomorrow. I’m thinking making your asparagus and chicken Kiev with Olga’s scalloped potatoes 🙂
I too just recently discovered asparagus 😉 This was my first time cooking asparagus, and I’m Glad I used your recipe Because I Love asparagus Now!
Loved this Recipe and Defiantly going to use it over and over!
That’s awesome! So glad you enjoyed it. Now I’m off to the store to buy more asparagus!
I have just recently discovered asparagus. I always thought it was nasty as a kid (probably because it always came out of a can) I have tried roasting it in the oven wrapped in bacon and drizzled with a butter/brown sugar mixture but I was looking for something a little healthier. I will definitely try this one! It sounds wonderful!
Oh that does sound unhealthy, but tasty! I love the taste and crisp of browned bacon. But yes, this recipe enhances the natural yumminess of asparagus. I hope you love it!
Asparagus! Yummy! I love it. I always broil or roast it in the oven too and serve it with lemon and butter. I add garlic, though. Beautiful pictures. I need to take advantage of asparagus season, while it’s still here. Gotta love easy recipes that taste terrific.
You’re not the first person to mention garlic. I’ll have to add that next time and see compare. I love garlic in everything (except cake!). 🙂
Wow it looks really good. Always wanted a recipe for asparagus…
Oh and it’s so easy! 🙂
I made this and it was super easy and super quick. It was beyond amazing!!!! My husband who hates veggies actually asked for seconds! This is now a family favorite. Thanks Natasha for great recipes. 🙂 Have a great weekend!!!
Awesome!! You won your hubby over! 🙂 thank you so much Inessa!
I had asparagus waiting in my fridge so I made this recipe for dinner tonight…absolutely perfect. I often make mine with garlic but honestly I preferred this recipe. It will be my new favorite as I always have these ingredients on hand. Your recipes are so easy to follow and even the cooking time was exactly right. Thank you and please keep the wonderful recipes coming!!
Jenny thank you so much! I really appreciate your comment. It’s the best kind of motivation for me! 🙂 . That was quick! You’ve already tried the recipe? I’m excited that you enjoyed it!!
This is awesome. I will give this a try. I usually boil asparagus for 5 min. Then butter and veggeta on top. I like your recipe better.
Thanks Lea! I hope you love it! If anything, you’ll save a step by not having to pre-boil.
Could you also put some green beans along with the asparagus? Thanks!
Hi Ned, green beans would take 20-25 minutes to roast at the same temperature. If you want the green beans to be tender and done at the same time, I would suggest putting them on the sheet pan first for 10 minutes then adding asparagus and roasting together for the last 10-12 minutes. You could also blanch/halfway pre-cook the green beans then bake everything together.
Asparagus in lemon butter – yes please! I love asparagus, it’s one of the first vegetables I buy in spring.
Same here, my son loves it too (but only when it’s a little overcooked!) 🙂
I just made roasted asparagus yesterday 🙂 mine had garlic/butter but I will definitely try your recipe, maybe tonight 🙂
Garlic? Now why didn’t I think of that? There are so many different ways to prepare asparagus. Let me know how it turns out.