It’s the perfect side dish; Roasted Asparagus spears in lightly seasoned lemon butter with parmesan cheese. It’s simple, but hard to beat! Roasted asparagus is our favorite way to prepare this vibrant and healthy vegetable.
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!
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We just love 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.
We’ve probably made this a hundred times and it is the most popular asparagus recipe on our site since 2012 because it’s easy and excellent
Ingredients for Baked Asparagus
This recipe makes a large batch, but can easily be cut in half to feed a smaller crowd.
- Asparagus – you’ll need 2 bunches (about 2 lbs), with the ends trimmed
- Lemon – we squeeze half of a lemon over the asparagus before baking and slice the other half into rings.
- Unsalted butter – to dot the top of the asparagus spears and it adds rich flavor.
- Olive oil – to drizzle the asparagus and keep it moist
- Salt & Pepper – these simple seasonings are all you need.
- Parmesan cheese – added at the end of cooking to creating a cheesy crust over the asparagus.
How to Cook Asparagus in the Oven
- Prep – Rinse, pat dry, and trim 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 10 minutes or until asparagus is 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.
Pro Tip: Break off the fibrous 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 wherever it snaps. This ensures you remove the tough fibrous base that is very difficult to chew.
Common Questions
There is usually about 1 lb of asparagus in a bunch and it can range from 3/4 lb to 1 1/2 lbs+ per bunch depending on the thickness of your asparagus. For this recipe, you’ll need 2 pounds of asparagus before trimming.
One is not better than the other and they vary in thickness depending on their variety. Both work great in this recipe but keep in mind, thick asparagus will take slightly longer to bake (10-12 minutes) and thin asparagus will take less time (8-10 minutes).
Look for asparagus tips that are compact and closed. They should not be falling off or wet. The stalks should be bright green, firm, and smooth (not wilted or floppy).
Lemon, butter, and parmesan is a winning combination for Roasted Asparagus. P.S. If you love this flavor profile, definitely try our Shrimp Scampi Pasta with asparagus.
Serve With
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
Roasted Asparagus with Lemon, Butter, and Parmesan
Ingredients
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 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 10 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 then return to the center of the oven and broil 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
We first published this baked asparagus recipe in 2012. I updated the recipe with new photos and a video tutorial. Here is one of the original photos:
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.