The arrival of asparagus will always make me feel joyous. I warned the family we would be eating asparagus every single day during it’s very short season and they thought I was kidding. I was not. So far, we haven’t missed one since those first lovely bunches turned up at the market. I love the fat chubby ones but would not turn away the pencil thin ones that take about a nano-second to cook. These splendid fresh spears need nothing more than a drizzle of good olive oil and a generous dusting of salt and pepper. But, for something a little different, and a little extra burst of flavour, it doesn’t get better than roasted asparagus with lemon, breadcrumbs, and manchego cheese.
How To Make Asparagus With Lemon, Breadcrumbs and Manchego
I adapted this recipe from Cooking Light that I found a few years ago. There is nothing genius, or complicated, about it — the combo of lemon, breadcrumbs and a sharp cheese have always made great partners. Add a little olive oil to bind those ingredients together, top the asparagus spears with it, and once crisped up in the oven you will have something truly marvelous.
The weather is still a little unpredictable and definitely still chilly enough to make this recipe which calls for roasting, as opposed to grilling or blanching, the asparagus. When using very chubby asparagus, it is best to give the asparagus a head start in the oven before adding the breadcrumb mixture. This ensures the asparagus have enough time to cook without the breadcrumbs getting too toast-y.
I use manchego cheese here because I like that it’s a little milder than parmesan or pecorino so it doesn’t overwhelm the flavour of the asparagus. Manchego is easy to find at most supermarkets but use any cheese you prefer, it all works. The original recipe calls for panko breadcrumbs which does keep things simple, but I prefer to use fresh breadcrumbs which take only a few minutes to make if you have a food processor. Serve the asparagus with any grilled meat or roasted fish, or add them to a platter of grilled veggies. So good.
If you want to know more about asparagus, such as the different varieties, cooking methods, etc, here is the link to a guide that I think you will find very useful; How To Cook Asparagus
Whether you plan to make this recipe or not, don’t miss out on these lovelies, they won’t be here for long. Happy asparagus season my friends!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds asparagus ends trimmed*
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3/4 cup manchego cheese grated
- 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
- 1 tablespoon minced flat-leaf parsley leaves optional
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon plus 2 - 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C).
- In a bowl, whisk together the cheese, breadcrumbs, red pepper flakes, parsley, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a generous grinding of pepper. Drizzle in 2 tablespoon olive oil and stir until well mixed. Set aside.
- Arrange the asparagus in a large baking dish and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Toss the spears to coat well with the oil. Bake asparagus for 5-7 minutes, depending on the thickness.
- Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the asparagus. Bake for another 4 - 5 minutes or until breadcrumbs are lightly golden.
- Remove from heat, drizzle with lemon juice and serve immediately.
Notes
Asparagus spears that are very thick will have a fibrous skin which is why it's best to peel (very lightly) the lower part of the stalk with a vegetable peeler -- do not peel too close to the tip.
Bernice
Great tip on adding the breadcrumbs into the baking for thicker asparagus.
Sandra Valvassori
Yes I learned that tip the hard way 😉