Roasted Asparagus with Lemon, Butter, and Parmesan (VIDEO)

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

1. Prep – Rinse, pat dry, and trim asparagus.
2. 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.
3. 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).
4. Bake at 400˚F for 10 minutes or until asparagus is tender. Remove asparagus from the oven and set the oven to Broil.
5. 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

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

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: