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Crisp-tender garlic parmesan asparagus is a crowd-pleasing, easy side that whips up in 15 minutes and pairs well with just about any main dish! It’s easy to roast in the oven, sauté on the stovetop, cook on the grill, or air fry, and I give directions for each cooking method.
Sometimes the best recipes are the simplest ones.
If you’re looking for a side dish that’s quick and easy, pairs well with just about anything, and is a real crowd-pleaser, this is it!
The ingredients in this easy side dish highlight the sweet, nutty, slightly bitter flavor of asparagus without overpowering it. I love serving it with grilled steak or lamb chops, but it goes just as well with marinated grilled chicken.
One of the best things about this side dish is that you aren’t limited to the oven; you can cook it a few different ways. This is handy if it’s too hot to turn on the oven, or if the oven is already full! I also give directions on how to make this on the stovetop, in an air fryer, or on a grill.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It makes 2 servings, so it’s perfect if you’re cooking date night dinner for you and your sweetie, or for just yourself and want leftovers for tomorrow. But it’s easy to scale up and feed a crowd!
- The ingredient list is short! There’s no need for anything fancy or extra with this baked asparagus recipe.
- You can roast garlic parmesan asparagus in the oven, sauté it on the stovetop, air fry it, or grill it! I give instructions for each cooking method so you can choose what works best for you.
- This recipe is naturally gluten free, low carb, and keto.
Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
- Asparagus – the star of the show
- Extra-virgin olive oil – or avocado oil
- Garlic – for savory flavor and aroma
- Coarse kosher salt – if you only have regular table salt, reduce it to 1/4 teaspoon
- Black pepper – add a touch of peppery heat and rounds out the flavor profile
- Parmesan cheese – for the best flavor use real parmesan here, not the pre-grated stuff in the pasta aisle
Instructions
No matter which method of cooking you use, prep the asparagus first. To do so, rinse it, pat it dry, and then trim off the woody ends.
How to Make Roasted Garlic Parmesan Asparagus in the Oven
- Add the asparagus, oil, garlic, salt, and black pepper to a large baking tray and toss it around to coat the asparagus.
- Roast for 9 minutes at 425F, then remove the tray from the oven, and sprinkle on the parmesan.
- Broil until the cheese is melted, about 1 minute.
Sautéed Garlic Parmesan Asparagus on the Stovetop
- Add the oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Once hot, add the asparagus, salt, and black pepper, spreading the asparagus out in an even layer. Sauté until the asparagus is crisp-tender and starting to brown in spots, about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Remove from the heat and sprinkle on the parmesan.
- Serve.
Garlic Parmesan Asparagus in the Air Fryer
- Preheat an air fryer to 400F.
- Toss together the asparagus, oil, garlic, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl.
- Arrange the asparagus evenly in the air fryer basket.
- Air fry until the asparagus is crisp-tender and starting to brown in spots, about 7 to 9 minutes. Sprinkle the parmesan on top at the 6 minute mark.
- Serve.
Grilled Garlic Parmesan Asparagus
- Preheat a grill to medium-high.
- Toss together the asparagus, oil, garlic, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl.
- Place the asparagus directly on the hot grill, and cook until crisp-tender and starting to char, about 5 to 8 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
- Sprinkle on the parmesan, let it melt for 10 seconds, and remove from the grill.
- Serve.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Pro Tips
- You aren’t limited to dinner, asparagus is also a good side dish for brunch! You can serve it warm or at room temperature.
- If the oven needs to be at 400F for other things you’re making, you can also roast asparagus at that temperature! It’ll take about 12 to 15 minutes at 400F.
- After prepping the asparagus (rinsing it, patting dry, and cutting off the woody ends), you can store it in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. Asparagus does well in an airtight container with a lightly dampened paper towel placed in the bottom of the container and the asparagus on top.
How Do You Prep Asparagus Before Cooking?
Time needed: 5 minutes
There are two steps you’ll need to do prep asparagus before cooking: 1) rinse it and pat it dry, and 2) remove the tough, woody ends. Here’s how to remove the woody ends from asparagus:
- Snap a Stalk
Pick up a stalk of asparagus, and while holding it with one end in each hand, bend it until it naturally snaps.
- Line Them Up
Place the stalk of asparagus on a cutting board with the rest of the asparagus from the bunch, lined up with the tops of each stalk next to each other.
- Cut at the Snap
Cut the stems off of the asparagus about half an inch lower than the spot where the stalk naturally snapped in half for the asparagus you bent. Discard the woody stems, or save them for vegetable stock.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s common to trim off the ends of asparagus before cooking because they’re tougher with a fibrous, woody texture, as opposed to the tender part of the asparagus stalk. It’s ok if you eat the woody ends, they are just not quite so pleasant to eat.
You don’t always have to peel asparagus. If the stalks are thinner, there’s no need. However, if the asparagus stalks are over 1/2-inch thick, the peel is likely to be tougher and you might want to peel them.
Yes! All you need to do to wash asparagus before cooking is rinse it under cool running water.
Depending on how you’re cooking it, you may want to pat it dry. For example, I pat asparagus dry when I’m oven roasting it, but I don’t bother doing so when I steam or blanch it.
No matter what method you’re using to cook asparagus – roasting, air frying, steaming, blanching, or sautéing – the best way to cook asparagus so it doesn’t end up soggy is to make sure not to over-cook it.
This is because even though asparagus will become waterlogged (aka soggy!) when you’re cooking it with water, but if you overcook it with any cooking method it will be super soft and borderline mushy. And let’s be honest, mushy really isn’t all that much different (and it’s no better) than soggy!
At 425F, it takes about 10 minutes to bake asparagus.
In this recipe, we roast asparagus for 9 minutes, sprinkle the cheese on top, and then broil it for 1 minute to melt the cheese.
More Asparagus Recipes to Make
- Roasted Potato Asparagus Salad
- 30 Minute Butter Dill Baked Salmon with Roasted Asparagus
- Roasted Asparagus Antipasta Salad
- Balsamic Glazed Sautéed Asparagus with Bacon
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Garlic Parmesan Asparagus Recipe (Oven, Stovetop, Air Fryer, or Grill Method)
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Ingredients
- 1 pound asparagus rinsed and patted dry
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
Prep the Asparagus:
- Pick up a stalk of asparagus, and while holding it with one end in each hand, bend it until it naturally snaps. Place the stalk of asparagus on a cutting board with the rest of the asparagus from the bunch, lined up with the tops of each stalk next to each other. Cut the stems off of the asparagus about half an inch lower than the spot where the stalk naturally snapped in half for the asparagus you bent. Discard the woody stems, or save them for vegetable stock.
Cook the Asparagus (See the Notes Below For More Cooking Methods):
- Preheat the oven to 425F.
- Add the asparagus, oil, garlic, salt, and black pepper to a large baking tray and toss it around to coat the asparagus.
- Roast for 9 minutes, then remove the tray from the oven, sprinkle on the parmesan, and broil until the cheese is melted, about 1 minute.
- Serve.
Notes
- Net Carbs: 5g per serving
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Add the oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Once hot, add the asparagus, salt, and black pepper, spreading the asparagus out in an even layer. Sauté until the asparagus is crisp-tender and starting to brown in spots, about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Remove from the heat and sprinkle on the parmesan.
- Serve.
- Preheat an air fryer to 400F.
- Toss together the asparagus, oil, garlic, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl.
- Arrange the asparagus evenly in the air fryer basket.
- Air fry until the asparagus is crisp-tender and starting to brown in spots, about 7 to 9 minutes. Sprinkle the parmesan on top at the 6 minute mark.
- Serve.
- Preheat a grill to medium-high.
- Toss together the asparagus, oil, garlic, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl.
- Place the asparagus directly on the hot grill, and cook until crisp-tender and starting to char, about 5 to 8 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
- Sprinkle on the parmesan, let it melt for 10 seconds, and remove from the grill.
- Serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
Free Bonus
Excellent! I served it with salmon and it was hit. I have served fried asparagus before but the cheese bumped it up a notch!