Roasted Parmesan Asparagus

By minicoopercraig

Asparagus is one of our favorite vegetables, mostly because its sweet, nutty flavor takes well to all sorts of cooking approaches; wrapped in prosciutto and grilled; blanched briefly in boiling water, then topped with a fried egg; shaved raw into a salad. But for a busy night when dinner just needs to appear, you can't beat this approach.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch asparagus, about 1 1/2 pounds
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Juice of 1 lemon

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Hold an asparagus spear at both ends and bend the bottom until the tough, woody section snaps (it will naturally snap off where the tough part of the vegetable ends and the tender part begins). Using that spear as a guide, use a knife to remove the bottoms of the rest of the bunch.
Place the asparagus in a baking dish. Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with the Parmesan, and season with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Roast until just tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Sprinkle the lemon juice over the asparagus and serve.