Time to add some green to the kitchen landscape! I have waited for good-looking fresh asparagus at my market for preparing this dish ever since I saw the recipe on friend, Phyllis Gardner’s, Facebook page. This is a dish that an asparagus lover knows exactly how it will taste just reading the recipe and my “prediction” was spot on today! This asparagus dish is ready in 25 minutes and easily prepared while your main dish finishes. I had one last serving of meat loaf today so a quick-prep-dish like this was perfect, and before I knew it, lunch was ready.
Use the freshest asparagus spears you can lay hands on and don’t be stingy with the garlic for the sautéed garlic gives a real boost of flavor in this dish. I adjusted the recipe today, adding toasted almond slivers as well for a bit of crunch. Don’t over cook the asparagus; 8 minutes was just right for tender, but crisp, spears. Use a large enough skillet so you aren’t crowding the pieces, allowing room for each spear becoming well-coated with the butter-garlic mixture. Turn your heat to low and cover the skillet once the asparagus begins cooking.
Grate the Parmesan from a fresh block for a tangy cheesy bite and serve it all up warm for a quick and healthy side dish. Hello, green! You make me believe that Spring is definitely on her way!
Garlic Parmesan Asparagus
Ingredients
3 T. butter
2 T. minced garlic
1 bunch asparagus
1 t. salt
2-3 T. fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
2 T. slivered toasted almonds, optional
Directions Prep asparagus by breaking off the lower woody part of each spear. Rinse and drain. In a large skillet, heat butter until melted over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add asparagus to the skillet. Using tongs, flip and stir to coat each asparagus spear with butter/garlic. Sprinkle asparagus evenly with salt. Cover and let cook for 8-10 minutes, or until asparagus is tender. Flip and turn asparagus once during cooking time. Add salt as needed, to taste. Serve warm with slivered almonds, if using, and the grated Parmesan for garnish.
I am looking forward to trying the asparagus. Mark doesn’t eat it, but his loss is my gain. I buy it whenever it’s on sale and eat it all over a couple of days! I’ve never cooked it in a skillet, but love the idea of the garlic and cheese. It looks delicious. I always roast it on the grill on a big piece of foil, basted with olive oil and a little sea salt.
It’s a tasty dish, Micki! i used a cast iron skillet and it came out fine; it will shrink a little; i think i had a little under 2 pounds of asparagus when i made this and mama and i ate it all that night! Hope it will be yummy for you too!
We had a young single guy over for dinner tonight and I made your asparagus recipe. It was wonderful!! I don’t own an iron skillet, but my biggest heavy duty fry pan worked fine. It was nice to have someone else to help me eat it., and I know he appreciated a nice dinner cooked by someone else 🙂 I used shaved Asiago cheese because I already had it, and included the toasted almonds. I will definitely make this again!
Ohhh the Asiago cheese sounds great with this too! SO happy it turned out well and that you had some help with the enjoying of it! Yay Yay!