the hungry tiger: Baked asparagus

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July 06, 2002

Baked asparagus

If you are lucky enough to have some asparagus, you can do many things with it. It is lovely in a nearly unadorned state, steamed or simmered in a big skillet with just a squeeze of lemon juice over top. It is also tasty roasted with garlic and olive oil, or grilled. However, if you are feeling in the mood for a little adornment, or if you are feeding someone who is wary of a naked vegetable, you can expend only a little extra effort and make Baked Asparagus with Parmesan Cheese. This recipe is much simpler to prepare, and not nearly as bad for you as, say, hollandaise sauce, but will give your guests and loved ones a similar sense that they have been given something dressed for dinner.

First, preheat the oven to 375° F. Then prep your asparagus. You can remove the ends by feeling for the place they want to bend (often a third of the way up the stalk, or more) and snapping them off, but that's not really necessary. Instead, cut off the bottom half inch or so and peel the bottom half of the stalk with a carrot peeler.

Layer the spears at the bottom of a wide, shallow baking dish. Season with salt and pepper and add a tablespoon of water. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter (for 1 bunch of asparagus) and drizzle it over the asparagus. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for about 10 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven, take off the foil, and grate about 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese over the spears. Return the dish to the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until everything is bubbling and the asparagus is tender when you poke it with the tip of a knife. If you have a lemon, squeeze lemon juice over top right before you serve it, or you might sprinkle a little vinegar over it.

The only failing of this recipe, as with all asparagus recipes, is that there is never enough.

Posted by redfox at July 06, 2002 06:25 PM (recipes)