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:
What a great idea to add lemon! Thank you for all of your recipes! Of all the chefs and cooks I follow, your recipes speak to me the most!
Hi Kelly! That makes me happy. Thank you so much for sharing. I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe.
I have been using a lot of your recipes Natasha. Just love them!
Wonderful to hear that, Joy. I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try!
Natasha: I love, love your recipes. Whenever I see that a recipe is from you, I copy it down because I know it will be delicious. Thank you for taking the time to share with us. Please continue doing it.
You are welcome, it is my pleasure, Renee! I hope you’ll love the recipes that you will try.
I love this recipe, we love asparagus and this is my go to recipe…Thank you 🙂
So glad to hear that. Thanks for sharing.
OKAY! So I made this and it came out sooooooo good!
My husband ate the whole thing. I am not the cook of the house but seriously though, your recipes are the bomb. Everyone of them is a big hit at my house and I am a new CHEF… hehehehe 🙂
Thank you so much Natasha, we love you in my kitchen 🙂
Love that! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, R!
I bought a bunch of asparagus on our beautiful market in Périgueux and tried your recipe. Delicious.
It will now be one of my favourites. Thank you.
Great to hear that! I’m glad you found a new favorite, I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try.
I made this tonight with two differences. I added grape tomatoes cut in half, and took the lemons off before I let it rain romano all over the asparagus.
Great recipe.
Hi Gary, sounds great! I’m happy to know that you enjoyed this recipe.
I never use that method of snapping the stalks. Instead, I trim 1/2″ off the bottom and use a potato peeler to shave off the dark outside skin revealing the inside of the asparagus spear which is tender. Plus its very cheffy when presented this way.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
I served this asparagus tonight with crab cakes and risotto! Yummy!
Sounds great, Teresa. Good to know that you enjoyed it!
Yum! Literally the best asparagus recipe I have ever made. The lemon adds such a yummy and pretty touch! Thank you Natasha!
You are so welcome, Judy. Great to hear that you loved the recipe!
This was so quick and easy to make. The flavor was great. What a great way to dress up asparagus.
Thanks for your good comments and feedback, Cindy. Glad you enjoyed this recipe!
I love it and so easy my favorite 🙏🙏🎄🎄🎄🎄🌹🌹🥰🥰🥰🥰
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
I tried the roasted asparagus with olive oil, butter and lemon. Oh my gosh!!! I love asparagus!!! Thank you for this great recipe!!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Anne!
natasha, you are making my life so easier when it comes to food prep.
especially the serving scale, this website is amazing
I’m really to hear that, Juana. Thank you and I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try!
I don’t see the video and I don’t see where to turn off the ad blocker.
Hi Sky, the recipe doesn’t have a video yet as some of my recipes only have a written recipe.
Can you pan fry them in a non stick pan? I’m new at cooking these. Thank you.
Hi Sandra, I haven’t tried that version yet. If you do an experiment, please share with us too how it turns out.
Yes I pan fry all the time when I am short on time. Put washed asparagus in skillet, add olive oil and move asparagus to assure Olive oil is on each stalk (About 1-2 TBS) sprinkle with lemon-pepper spice and cook on medium heat till softened, tossing freq, about 5 min Done and delicious
Am I missing something here? Where’s the “VIDEO” that this recipe states it has??
HI Rik, there is a shorter video on this recipe. It’s towards the top after the first image. If you aren’t seeing it, make sure to turn off your ad blocker and refresh the screen. I hope you love the roasted asparagus!
This turned out so crispy. Even my veggie hating kids gobbled it up.
That is the best when kids love what we moms make, Krystle. That’s so great!
We absolutely love this side! It accompanies chicken or pasta so nicely.
That it does! I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Katie!
This is the absolute only way I will make asparagus from now on!
That’s so great, Audra! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe!