Day 30: Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan ♥
~ recipe updated & photo added in 2007 ~
A keeper, magnificent in its simplicity especially on nights when the oven is already hot.
Roasting is especially good for fat spears of asparagus and takes only a few minutes to clean, trim and prep the asparagus and then only a few minutes in the oven, too.
Two great kitchen tools were put to use tonight:
Mister - Put your favorite olive oil in a non-aerosol olive oil mister, then spray vegetables, salads or pans. The mister makes a light, even coating of oil - the theory is (and I believe it) that you use less oil. I especially like the mister when roasting vegetables for it's easier to coat a big pile of vegetables with a light spray than tossing them in a tablespoon or two of oil.
Microplane - A microplane makes a big pile of fluffy parmesan in a flash. It's ten times better than your best grater. Multi-tasks with citrus zest, chocolate and coconut too. [Update 4/07 There are several models and I have now invested in two different microplanes.]
So, Day 30 arrives. What now? At first a vegetable-a-day was hard. On April 1, I wondered if I'd make it to April 30 - in fact, launching on April 1 made it easy to quit, laughing, April Fool's.
Now it seems like I'm just getting started and there's so many dishes to try. And the summer vegetables haven't even arrived! So visit often - the Veggie Venture shall continue!
ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH PARMESAN
Active time: 7 minutes
Total time: 20 - 25 minutes
Serves 4
1 pound asparagus, preferably thick spears
Olive oil
Parmesan cheese, grated
Heat oven to 400 or 450F. While oven heats, wash and trim asparagus spears. If the skins are thick, use a carrot peeler to remove skins from ends. Arrange on baking sheet and mist with oil. Toss well and mist again. Roast until cooked through, about 15 minutes at 400F, about 10 minutes at 450F. Top with grated Parmesan and serve.
Nutrition Estimate (assumes 1/2 tablespoon olive oil for misting and 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan per serving) Per Serving: 65 Cal (46% from Fat, 28% from Protein, 26% from Carb); 5 g Protein; 4 g Tot Fat; 1 g Sat Fat; 5 g Carb; 2 g Fiber; 97 mg Calcium; 2 mg Iron; 98 mg Sodium; 6 mg Cholesterol, Weight Watchers 1 point
Er - what do we do with the parmesan?
ReplyDeleteGood catch, Anonymous! I honestly don't remember but if I were doing now, I'd toss the roasted asparagus with the Parmesan.
ReplyDeleteMy family loves to make asparagus this way. We add 1-2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar after roasting and then sprinkle with grated parmesan. Mmmm! I don't have a planer so I haven't tried that yet.
ReplyDeleteHi, great directions! I roast the asparagus with the parmesan on top. You can sprinkle it over the top and then broil the cheese for a few minutes to melt it!!!
ReplyDelete