Recipes Side Dishes Vegetable Side Dishes Roasted Vegetables Baked Asparagus 4.4 (7) 4 Reviews It doesn't get much easier — or more delicious — than this baked asparagus recipe. The entire dish comes together on a baking sheet, including the creamy, lemon-infused sauce. By Liz Mervosh Liz Mervosh Elizabeth Mervosh is a recipe tester and developer for Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in Birmingham, Alabama. She creates and fine-tunes recipes for brands including Southern Living, Real Simple, Food & Wine, People, and EatingWell. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 20, 2023 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Active Time: 10 mins Total Time: 25 mins Yield: 4 servings Asparagus is first baked with olive oil, lemon, and garlic, then coated with Parmesan butter during the last few minutes of cooking, creating a creamy, luxurious sauce as it finishes baking. When you add the Parmesan butter, be sure to toss until you have a sauce to prevent the cheese from forming clumps as it cooks. To finish, sprinkle chopped fresh herbs over the baked asparagus. This recipe makes a gorgeous side dish to serve with fish, chicken, pork, or really any protein you like. When selecting asparagus from the farmers market or store, you'll want stalks that are firm, straight, and smooth — and fairly uniform in thickness so that they cook evenly. Pass by any bunches that appear wilted, limp, or dull. The tips should be closed tightly and free from any kind of off-putting smell. Color-wise, look for vibrant green stalks that gently fade to white at the bottom; the tips can be darker green or purple-tinged. Once you're ready to prepare the baked asparagus, you'll of course wash your asparagus, taking extra care to remove any debris that might have settled into the tips. Then, all you need to do is remove the woody ends, roughly about an inch. If you're concerned about encountering tough skin, you may also want to peel the bottom halves of the stalks, though this is not absolutely necessary. Ingredients 1 small (3-ounce) lemon 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 medium garlic cloves, grated on a Microplane grater (1 teaspoon) 2 bunches (about 2 pounds total) fresh asparagus, about 1/3 to 1/2-inch in diameter, trimmed 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/3 ounce) 1/4 cup chopped mixed fresh tender herbs (such as basil, tarragon, and flat-leaf parsley) Directions Diana Chistruga Gather the ingredients. Preheat oven to 400°F. Diana Chistruga Grate zest of lemon into a small bowl; stir in oil and garlic. Diana Chistruga Cut ends off lemon and discard. Slice lemon into thin rounds. Diana Chistruga Toss together asparagus, lemon slices, and oil mixture on a large rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to evenly coat. Spread out in an even layer on baking sheet. Diana Chistruga Meanwhile, mash together butter and cheese in a small bowl until combined. Diana Chistruga Bake asparagus 8 minutes. Diana Chistruga Remove baking sheet from oven. Spoon butter mixture evenly over asparagus. Toss using tongs until evenly coated and mixture forms creamy sauce; spread in an even layer. Return asparagus to oven and bake until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer asparagus to a serving platter. Spoon butter mixture from baking sheet over asparagus. Sprinkle with herbs. Diana Chistruga Transfer asparagus to a serving platter. Spoon butter mixture from baking sheet over asparagus. Sprinkle with herbs. Rate It Print