Going green: roasted asparagus with Parmesan

Going green: roasted asparagus with Parmesan

(Photo replaced in May 2008)

This being the season for asparagus, there are lots of asparagus recipes around. Just look at the gorgous dishes created by Keiko over at Nordljus! This specific dish I spotted first over at the Finnish-language Pastanjauhantaa blog, where it had found its way through the archives of Anne's Food. Rather unusually, the asparagus are roasted in this recipe, and not steamed or boiled. Roasting actually intensifies the flavour of those tender green spears, so do try it. Perfect as a starter during spring days.

Oven-roasted green asparagus with Parmesan cheese
(Ahjus röstitud sparglid parmesaniga)
Serves 2 as a starter

a bunch of fresh green asparagus
extra virgin olive oil
a pinch of Maldon sea salt flakes
a pinch of freshly grated black pepper
half a lemon
few tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Snip off the woody stalk ends of asparagus. Put them in a small roasting dish in one layer.
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and some crushed black pepper.
Roast in a 200˚C oven for about 15-20 minutes, shaking the pan once or twice during roasting.
To serve, squeeze some lemon juice and sprinkle some Parmesan on top.

Other asparagus dishes @ Nami-nami:
Asparagus with pinenuts, lime and browned butter (May 2007)
Roasted green asparagus with feta cheese (May 2007)
Wild asparagus with butter / Wild asparagus with pasta & garlic (May 2006)