In my opinion, asparagus is the best vegetable in the world. In the world, Stacey? Yes, in the world. If I had to pick my absolute favorite vegetable, it would be asparagus. Smelly pee be damned! This vegetable rules and we are entering Spring which is the quintessential season for this green-stalked veggie delight. I decided to prepare my spring asparagus two ways. First, I roasted it in the oven and prepared some lemony breadcrumbs for a topping. Second, I chopped and sauteed it in a pan with basil - then topped it with fresh shaved parmesan cheese. With Easter and Mother's Day around the corner, this would be a great addition to your holiday feast!
Roasted Asparagus with Lemony Breadcrumbs
I do love the simplicity of roasting asparagus. It's very low maintenance and it's done in 12-15 minutes. Yay! Fast, easy and so delicious. All you have to do is trim the bottoms, throw it on a sheet pan with olive oil, salt and pepper. Give it a toss to coat and roast at 425 degrees. That's it. The pièce de résistance of this dish is the lemony breadcrumbs. You'll remember, I made this crunchy panko delight to top my Swiss Chard Pasta w/Lemony Breadcrumbs and Bacon Bits as part of my CSA Series last summer.
Well, I've found yet another use for them here. They are the perfect topper for roasted asparagus! You may notice I made way more than needed for this recipe. You should do the same. It's a fantastic topping for salads, fish, pasta, chicken and I'm sure you'll find more uses too!
Sautéed Asparagus with Basil and Shaved Parmesan
Next up, I give you chopped asparagus with basil and shaved parmesan cheese. I love employing the sauté/steam method with my vegetables and this dish is no exception. Transfer the chopped asparagus to a sauté pan, add olive oil, salt and pepper and mix. You'll alternate between letting the asparagus steam with the lid on, then removing it to stir. In six minutes, you'll be in asparagus heaven!
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Add some fresh basil and lemon, give it one last toss and you're ready to go. Shave the fresh parmesan right into your serving bowl! So delish and simple to make! And if you're making either of these recipes for Easter, don't forget to check out my Mom's Potatoes Au Gratin that she makes every year for Easter.
If you think YOU love asparagus!
If you're an asparagus enthusiast, like myself, you have seen the movie, Asparagus! (A Stalk-umentary), Stalking the American Life which details the asparagus growing season in Oceania, Michigan culminating in an annual asparagus festival. Filmmakers Anne De Marre and Kirsten Kelly captured the people and culture of an asparagus growing region in America with pure delight. The excitement and passion surrounding asparagus is truly inspiring. I also love that the film itself is a giant reminder to support local farming whenever possible. Though I saw this film many years ago, it's always stuck in my mind. You can see it on their website here: Asparagus! Stalking the American Life.
If you're here looking for Easter stuff, remember this: leftover ham!! We will all have it and not know what the heck we're going to do with it, right? Have no fear, I have two ideas. Every year after Easter I always save some ham for Croque Monsieur Sandwiches and a fabulous Western Omelet. If you're all hammed out, I get it. We always freeze the ham and it works out great. Pull it out when you need it for omelets and sandwiches.
I hope you enjoy my asparagus recipes! And remember how important it is to get to your kitchens and make amazing food. Cook food for yourself and your loved ones. It's so easy to do and sharing meals and stories around a table is a wonderful tradition to share with others.
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Spring Asparagus Two Ways: Roasted and Sautéed
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 portions 1x
Description
Spring asparagus two ways offers up a roasted version topped w/lemony breadcrumbs or a sautéed version with basil & shaved parmesan. Your choice or go crazy and make both!
Ingredients
Roasted Asparagus w/Lemony Breadcrumbs
- 1 bunch of asparagus
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil, more if needed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 lemon cut into wedges
For the breadcrumbs:
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup plain panko breadcrumbs
- 1 lemon (ZEST ONLY)
Sautéed Asparagus w/Fresh Basil & Shaved Parmesan
- 1 small chunk of parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- 1 bunch of asparagus
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, more if needed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 lemon cut into wedges
NOTE: Prep and cook time above is for the roasted asparagus. The sautéed asparagus probably takes about 5-8 minutes less time.
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Instructions
For the Roasted Asparagus with Lemony Breadcrumbs
- Zest one lemon with a microplane and set aside.
- On medium heat, melt butter and olive oil in a pan, then add the plain panko breadcrumbs. (see note#1) Mix the breadcrumbs to coat with the olive oil and butter. Toss around the breadcrumbs for about 5-7 minutes until they are golden brown. Transfer to a bowl. If you’re using right away – stick them in the freezer to cool down.
- Chop the bottoms of the asparagus and discard. Then put asparagus on a sheet pan. Add olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss the asparagus around to coat. Line the asparagus side by side and cook in a preheated oven at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Turn asparagus half way through.
- While asparagus is cooking cut a few lemon wedges. You can use the same lemon you zested for this.
- Once the breadcrumbs are cooled down, add the lemon zest and mix to combine well.
- Transfer the cooked asparagus to a plate or platter. Garnish with lemon wedges. Spoon the lemony breadcrumbs over the top of the asparagus. You can also squeeze a little lemon juice over the top if you like. Garnish with chopped parsley if you have any on hand – totally optional. Serve immediately.
For the Sautéed Asparagus with Fresh Basil & Shaved Parmesan
- Cut a small chunk of parmesan cheese from your wedge of parmesan and set aside.
- Chop your fresh basil. Stack the basil leaves on top of each other (about 10-15 depending on size). Roll the stack of leaves like a cigar. Slice the basil into thin strips. Set aside.
- Cut the bottoms from the asparagus and discard. Chop the asparagus into small pieces – about ½” to ¾” then transfer to a pan.
- Cut a few lemon wedges to squeeze onto asparagus and for garnish.
- On medium heat add olive oil, salt and pepper to the asparagus.
- This is a sauté/steam method so you will alternate between giving the asparagus a toss when the cover is off, then put the lid on to let it steam for a minute or two. Repeat the process for about 6 minutes and the asparagus will be cooked. At the end, add most of the fresh basil and squeeze some fresh lemon in the pan.
- Transfer asparagus to a serving bowl. Shave the parmesan cheese with a potato peeler right into the bowl. Toss the asparagus. Add a few more shavings of cheese on top. Add the last pinch of basil and garnish with a lemon wedge. Serve immediately.
Notes
- If you want to change the ratio of butter to olive oil for the lemony breadcrumbs you can do that. All butter works. All olive oil works. Two tablespoons olive oil to one tablespoon of butter works. This is flexible so do what works best for you.
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