Roasted Asparagus spears in a lightly seasoned lemon-butter sauce, topped with a crown of Parmesan cheese. It’s simple, but hard to beat! Roasted asparagus is my favorite way to prepare this vibrant and healthy vegetable. I’ve tried several fancy asparagus recipes, but I keep coming back to this one.
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Helpful Reader Review
“Tried this last night and my husband and I both thought it was awesome. I can’t believe. I’ve been eating mushy asparagus so long. A must try, you will not be disappointed.” – Patty ★★★★★
Roasted Asparagus Video
Oven-Roasted Asparagus
This Roasted Asparagus with lemon butter and parmesan is my all-time favorite asparagus recipe, and I’ve probably made this a hundred times. It’s easy, has simple ingredients, and takes about 12 minutes in the oven. It is also a reader favorite – the most popular asparagus recipe on my blog since 2012 because it’s easy and excellent.
My whole family just loves asparagus from Asparagus Casserole to Roasted Salmon and Asparagus, and we even love it in our Baked Feta Pasta! It’s such a humble ingredient with so much potential. Thankfully, it’s a vegetable my kids love, so we get creative with it.
Roasted Asparagus Ingredients
This recipe makes a large batch, but can easily be cut in half to feed a smaller crowd.
- Asparagus – I use 2 bunches (about 2 lbs before trimming). When shopping for asparagus, look for compact, closed tips. They should not be falling off or wet. The stalks should be bright green, firm, and smooth, not wilted or floppy. Thin or thick asparagus will work, just adjust the bake time (see chart below).
- Lemon – use half the lemon to add a squeeze of lemon juice over the asparagus before baking and slice the other half into rings.
- Butter – to dot the top of the asparagus spears, and it adds rich flavor.
- Olive oil – to drizzle the asparagus and keep it moist
- Parmesan cheese – added at the end of cooking to create a cheesy crust over the asparagus.
How to Trim Asparagus
Asparagus has a tough, fibrous base that needs to be removed because it is very difficult to chew and digest. I always just snap off the ends because it’s so quick and easy. I’ve been known to snap a few stems at a time to speed things up.
- Break off woody ends (Favorite Method) – Hold the asparagus spear with one hand at the base and the other hand in the middle of the stem. Bend until it snaps naturally (usually 1-2 inches from the base).
- For Thicker spears – use a potato peeler and peel off the fibrous skin on the bottom half of the asparagus.
How to Roast Asparagus
- Arrange asparagus on a large rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roll asparagus lightly to coat.
- Add lemon and butter – Squeeze half a lemon evenly over the asparagus. Arrange lemon slices over the top then place pats of butter over asparagus (don’t worry, most of the butter will end up on the pan and not on your waistline).
- Bake at 400˚F for 8-10 minutes(or based on the time chart below). Bake until the asparagus is just fork-tender. Remove asparagus from the oven and set the oven to Broil.
- Sprinkle parmesan over the center of the asparagus and broil for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden.
How Long to Roast Asparagus?
Roast asparagus until they are crisp-tender and vibrant green. When you poke the asparagus with a fork, it should go in easily but still hold its shape. Avoid overbaking, or it will be dull-colored, limp, and mushy. Bake times can vary depending on how thick your asparagus stalks are:
- Thick spears: about 12 to 15 minutes
- Thin spears: about 8 to 10 minutes
- Medium spears: about 10 to 12 minutes
What to Serve with Asparagus
We love serving roasted asparagus with just about everything – it’s such a versatile profile. These are our favorite pairings for main courses and sides to complete the meal:
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Lemon Chicken
- Pan-Seared Steak
- Chicken Parmesan
- Baked Salmon with Garlic and Dijon
- Pork Tenderloin
- Lemon Pepper Chicken
- Air Fryer Whole Chicken
Fresh lemon juice, butter, and Parmesan are a winning combination for Roasted Asparagus. It has the best flavor. P.S. If you love this flavor profile, definitely try our Shrimp Scampi Pasta with asparagus.
Roasted Asparagus
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place asparagus in a large rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roll asparagus lightly to coat in oil and seasonings.
- Squeeze 1/2 of a lemon evenly over the asparagus. Line the top third of the asparagus with lemon slices from the second half of your lemon. Thinly slice 4 tbsp of butter and line the center of the asparagus with butter.
- Bake at 400°F for 8-10 minutes (see time chart below) or until asparagus is tender. Remove asparagus from the oven and set oven to Broil.
- Sprinkle the center of the asparagus with Parmesan cheese then return to the center of the oven and broil 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden.
Notes
- Thin spears: about 8 minutes
- Medium spears: about 10 minutes
- Thick spears: about 12 minutes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Roasted Vegetable Recipes
If you love tasty and easy roasted veggie sides, you’ll find some new favorites in this list:
- Roasted Cauliflower
- Roasted Broccoli
- Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower
- Roasted Carrots
- Roasted Potatoes
- Smashed Potatoes
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Can roasted asparagus be cooked the night before and then reheat on Easter
Hi Laura, we prefer them fresh, but Yes that should be fine. You can fully bake it at home, cover in a baking dish or foil tray, reheat and warm it up nicely when you’re ready.
This recipe was easy to follow & was tasty. The only issue is you show there is a video attached but I did not find it.
Hi Lori, the video is embedded right under the main photo, but you cal also find it on my Youtube Page link here.
Just purchased your receipt book. I love it.
I’m definitely going to try this the next time I cook asparagus. I had always just steamed them , but this sounds delicious. I also make the best asparagus soup so you see we love asparagus.
By the way, if you remember me, I told you I was making your New York cheese cake for Christmas dessert. OMGosh….it turned out absolutely perfect. Thank you so very much. Everyone enjoyed it and I felt so proud of myself as I’m not that good at baking.
This was delicious and easy. I did it without the parmesan because my husband had been making cheese sticks all afternoon and I didn’t want anymore cheese. It was still great, so thanks for the recipe
Hi Natasha,
I just bought a large air fryer. Has anyone cooked this in one? How long and how hot? Thanks
Hi Lona, I haven’t tried this in an air fryer, but I bet it will work great. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Air Fryer is the only way I’ve cooked asparagus. We like ours crispy. Comes out perfect!
This is really delicious recipe. Thank you.
Awesome! First time I ever cooked asparagus and it was a big hit with my family.
My favorite recipe for baked asparagus. Quick, easy and delicious.
I made this for Easter and they came out perfect 😍 Thank you.
We’ve never made asparagus before and have only tried it at restaurants and wanted to try to make it at home. We stumbled upon this recipe which is so easy to make (no extra dishes or chopping) and tastes like restaurant quality! So, so good! I’ve served this with everything, chicken, steak, pork chops, etc. Definitely give it a try!
Thank you for the wonderful feedback, Michelle!
hi Natasha, is this a good dish to make ahead of time? This looks delicious and i would love to bring this for easter but have about an hour drive to relatives
Yes that should be fine. You can fully bake it at home, cover in a baking dish or foil tray, reheat and warm it up nicely when you’re ready.
This was the best tasting asparagus that I have ever had!! Thank you so much!!
Tried this last night and my husband and I both thought it was awesome. I can’t believe I’ve been eating mushy asparagus so long
A must try, you will not be disappointed.
That’s wonderful, Patty! I’m so happy to hear you both loved it!
We have a very large asparagus patch and are always looking for ways to fix it. Well, I am. My wife won’t cook. I made this and she actually complimented me, an occasion more rare than a super blue moon. This one? She actually asked for it again! This pairs beautifully with everything from reverse-seared venison steaks to Chicken Cordon Bleu. Thanks, Natasha.
Made everyone love asparagus! Elegant and full of taste. I followed your recipe and all the flavors were so yummy!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Deborah!
My favourite too but I omit the parmesan and apply lemon rind instead. So good with baked lemon chicken thighs!
Sounds good, I bet it’s still delicious!