This Garlic Parmesan Roasted Asparagus is made with just a few simple ingredients and makes a perfectly delicious side dish for any meal! This quick and easy vegetable side dish bakes in the oven in less than 15 minutes. Serve it with brunch, lunch, or dinner.
When I met my husband, he was convinced that asparagus was the most disgusting, slimy, revolting vegetable on the planet.
"You've never had my asparagus," I told him.
He'd only eaten asparagus out of a can, soggy and salty and mush. That is no way to eat any vegetable, but especially fragile asparagus spears.
The best way to eat asparagus is freshly cut from the garden, drizzled with olive oil, and roasted. You can find the details of that roasting method in my egg and asparagus salad post.
This recipe takes my favorite method and makes it even more appealing than I thought was possible, and it's no more difficult than the original. All you have to do is add a bit of pressed garlic and some shaved Parmesan cheese, and BAM! Vegetable perfection.
Why you'll love this garlic roasted asparagus recipe with Parmesan cheese
It's quick: This recipe cooks in 12-15 minutes, so you will have it on the table in no time at all.
It's easy: Everything is mixed on the sheet pan that you'll roast the asparagus on, so there will be no dirty bowls or pans. It's almost a one-step recipe.
It's healthy: Asparagus is a super food that's packed full of antioxidants including vitamins A, B6, C, E, and K, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, iron, phosphorus, potassium, copper, manganese, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and selenium. It's got a lot of fiber and is a very low calorie food. You only add a tiny amount of oil in this recipe, so the health value is high. Roasting it for a short time also preserves the nutrients.
Allergy-friendly: This recipe as written is egg-free, soy-free, nut-free, and gluten-free. If you have a dairy-free or vegan Parmesan cheese substitute, it could also be dairy-free and vegan. If you can't find an easy Parmesan substitute, a mozzarella substitute would also work well in this recipe.
What you'll need to make the best garlic roasted asparagus with Parmesan cheese
EQUIPMENT
- Baking sheet - Any baking sheet with a rim around the edge will work for this recipe. Ideally, it will be large enough for your asparagus to lay in a single layer, but as you will see in my photos below, mine wasn't quite big enough and the asparagus still turned out great.
- Garlic press - I think a garlic press is something that every kitchen should have. You cannot mince garlic as small as a press will make it. This makes it easier to distribute the garlic evenly on the spears. If you mince it with a knife, you will have chunks of garlic rather than garlic essence.
INGREDIENTS
See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutritional information.
- Fresh asparagus spears - I prefer to buy the fattest possible spears. There will be fewer of them in the bunch, but the fatter ones have a nicer crunch and hold up best to roasting at high temperatures.
- Olive oil - You can use any neutral oil, but I like the flavor of olive oil best.
- Fresh garlic - You'll press this with the garlic press. If you don't have a garlic press (you should get one because you will use it almost daily), you can mince the garlic with a very sharp knife. Go for the smallest possible pieces.
- Shaved or grated Parmesan cheese - This is NOT the powdery stuff in the can, okay? That stuff does not melt in the oven because it is not real cheese. You need real Parmesan cheese here.
- Salt & pepper - To taste. To be honest, I forget salt and pepper about half the time, and I have never thought to myself, "You know what this asparagus needs? Some salt and pepper." Just saying.
How to make garlic Parmesan roasted asparagus
- Cut the asparagus. First you have to trim the woody ends from the asparagus stalks. People say that you should bend each spear at the end, and it will break at the right point. I think that's a bunch of baloney, and it wastes perfectly good asparagus. Instead, I eyeball it and cut each spear where I think the yucky part ends. If it is really firm there, I move up toward the tip a bit and try again. I cut wherever it is soft enough to cut. If you've never cut asparagus, use a very sharp knife and do some trial and error. You will soon know what I mean just from the way the knife feels when you cut into the spear. Typically, the magic point is an inch or two above the grocery store cut. After you have all the ends trimmed, cut the asparagus into 2" pieces. I know it's much prettier to leave it in full-sized spears, but I think it's a lot harder to eat that way. If you cut it pre-cooking, you won't need a knife to cut it on your plate. Just my personal preference.
- Prepare the asparagus. The next step is to dump all that beautiful cut asparagus onto a baking sheet (the kind with a raised edge) or 9x13 baking dish (not preferable because the air doesn't flow around the asparagus quite as well). Drizzle it with olive oil and toss to coat.
- Next, press all that pungent garlic over the top of the oily asparagus and toss it again.
- Sprinkle the asparagus with salt & pepper to taste.
- Finally, sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top of the whole mess. It should smell heavenly and glisten with oily goodness.
- Roast the asparagus. The last step is to put the pan into a hot oven, preheated to 425ºF, and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. You want the pieces to be crisp-tender and just starting to brown on the edges. The cheese should be melted and sizzling on the pan.
Variations on this Parmesan asparagus recipe
As I have said above, I love asparagus plain with just a little garlic and olive oil. However, you can sprinkle the asparagus stalks with any seasoning imaginable after drizzling with olive oil. I especially like one or a combination of the following:
- Ranch dressing powder
- Cajun Seasoning - This is a little spicy and adds a nice heat to the sprouts.
- Italian Seasoning
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Everything bagel seasoning
- Rosemary
- Lemon pepper or lemon juice
- Crushed red pepper for heat
- Balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze
- Pesto
- Check out this recipe for bacon-wrapped asparagus or sprinkle roasted asparagus with crumbled bacon
How to choose the best spears for baked asparagus
As I said above, I prefer to buy the fattest asparagus spears I can find. I think they hold up best to roasting. However, if you prefer skinny spears, go for what you like. In either case, they should be bright green, firm, and straight.
When choosing asparagus spears, look at the tips. You want to buy bunches with firm, tight tips - nothing opened, sprouted, or mushy. Those are past their prime. Firm, tight tips will last longer and taste better.
It's okay if the spears have dry white ends. This is just where the stalks were cut from the crowns, and you're going to be removing them anyway.
How to trim asparagus for baking
The first thing you have to do when cooking asparagus is to trim the woody ends from the asparagus stalks. People say that you should bend each spear at the end, and it will break at the right point. I think that's a bunch of baloney, and it wastes perfectly good asparagus. Instead, I eyeball it and cut each spear where I think the yucky part ends. If it is really firm there, I move up toward the tip a bit and try again. I cut wherever it is soft enough to cut. If you've never cut asparagus, use a very sharp knife and do some trial and error. You will soon know what I mean just from the way the knife feels when you cut into the spear. Typically, the magic point is an inch or two above the grocery store cut.
After you have all the ends trimmed, I normally cut the asparagus into 2" pieces. I know it's much prettier to leave it in full-sized spears (and I did that for the photos here), but I think it's a lot harder to eat that way. If you cut it pre-cooking, you won't need a knife to cut it on your plate. Just my personal preference.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I use thick or thin asparagus spears?
I prefer thick ones, but it's completely up to your personal preference.
How should I grate my Parmesan cheese?
I buy the pre-grated Parmesan that is in the refrigerated section of the grocery store with all the other cheese. It's not a shelf-stable product (not the stuff in the green can!), but it is already grated.
I feel like everyone on the internet says you must grate your own Parmesan, and I will admit that buying a block and grating it yourself generally does melt better. However, for me, it is a choice between buying pre-grated cheese and having no cheese, so I buy the pre-grated Parmesan.
If you do buy a block and grate it yourself, grate with the smallest holes above a microplane. Save your microplane for lemon zest and fresh ginger.
Do I have to use Parmesan?
Of course not. Roasted asparagus is amazing without Parmesan. The only thing you can't skip is the oil, as the asparagus will be dry and not pleasant if you bake it with no oil at all.
Can I use another type of cheese?
Of course. Parmesan is my favorite. Mozzarella and Swiss are also nice, but feel free to try any cheese you like. You could even add goat cheese, but don't bake that. You should add that after roasting.
What pan should I use to roast asparagus?
I suggest a regular old baking sheet with rims around the sides. You will want something to catch any juices that come out of the asparagus, but a sheet pan is best because the sides are shallow and more air can circulate around the spears.
When is baked asparagus done roasting?
I suggest checking your asparagus at 12 minutes. It should be crisp-tender, meaning that it should be soft enough to chew but not mushy. If you test a piece and it's mushy like mashed potatoes, it's overcooked. If you test it and it's crunchy, cook it a bit longer.
What to serve with this baked asparagus recipe
I think this is the perfect side dish for an elegant protein like Chicken Bryan (which is a juicy chicken breast topped with goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh basil and dripping with lemon butter sauce), air fryer prime rib, Instant Pot lemon chicken, balsamic pork roast, or air fryer steak bites, but it's also great as a brunch side dish with a protein like a bacon omelet or a ham and cheese omelet roll.
How to store leftover Parmesan Garlic Roasted Asparagus
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
You can eat leftover asparagus cold or reheat it in the oven at 400ºF for 4-5 minutes. You can also microwave it for 20 seconds, but if you microwave leftover asparagus, it might get mushy.
For more roasted vegetable goodness, try these other side dishes:
- Garlic Parmesan Roasted Carrots
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Pecans
- Oven Roasted Sweet Potato Fries
- Oven Roasted Red Beets with Low Carb Balsamic Glaze and Feta Cheese
- Roasted Frozen Brussels Sprouts
Recipe
Garlic Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan Cheese
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds asparagus spears
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic pressed with a garlic press
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese shaved or grated (not the powdery stuff in the can, okay?)
Instructions
- Trim the asparagus spears where the tender portion meets the more fibrous stem. One way to do it is to bend each spear individually and see where it breaks, but that takes entirely too long for me. I just eyeball it and see where it cuts most easily. After they've been trimmed, I cut the asparagus into 2-inch pieces.
- Dump the cut pieces onto a jelly roll or 9x13 pan. Sprinkle olive oil over the asparagus and toss to coat, then spread into a single layer.
- Press the garlic over top of the asparagus. If you don't have a garlic press, mince the garlic and sprinkle it over the asparagus. Top the whole thing with Parmesan cheese.
- Roast the asparagus at 425 for 12 to 15 minutes, until the asparagus is crisp-tender and the cheese is melted.
Jennifer Phillips says
I'm bookmarking this one. That's an oft-heard complaint against asparagus here, too. But I'd love to find a way to cook it that DOESN'T destroy it (or drown it in hollandaise! lol)
Tara @ Feels Like Home says
Would you believe that I've never eaten hollandaise? Never. We never cook asparagus any other way, just drizzle with olive oil and spices and then roast. It's so good that way.
Do try different cooking times to see what you like best. Experiment. 🙂
B lee says
I love roasted asparagus, that is what we are having for Easter. I have never added garlic to it, will have to try that one.
Catherine McChessney says
I'm definitely making this tonight! I have a bag full of fresh asparagus from Pappy's garden just waiting for me to cook it. We love asparagus grilled, but your recipe may be our new favorite! Thanks!
Tara @ Feels Like Home says
Absolutely! We ate our first harvest last night for dinner. The scene reminded me of something out of Disney's A Christmas Carol - 3 people sharing 5 meager spears of asparagus. But every bite tasted soooo good. 🙂
Anne says
My fiance loves GARLIC! (well, also bacon, haha!) and I love CHEESE! (and asparagus!) I asked him what was his favorite vegetable and he said "none of them! ...uh, just kidding... ummm, corn?" so I asked what is your favorite green vegetable and again I got the "none of them!" answer!!! I found an Easter dinner menu plan for ham, asparagus, and then my mom suggested deviled eggs! I googled for a garlic cheese asparagus recipe and found this! I made it yesterday, for us to eat tomorrow! I hope he likes it! I doubled the cheese and used minced garlic- about a spoon-ful over the whole dish!