Oven Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan is an easy, healthy, and keto side dish to serve with your favorite low-carb dinners. Roasting asparagus in the oven gives it a delicious caramelized flavor that you won’t be able to resist! Top it all off with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese for a low-carb vegetable dish that the whole family with love.
Easy Oven Roasted Asparagus
Oven Roasted Asparagus is a super easy and healthy veggie side dish that you can serve any night of the week. This keto side dish pairs well with a lot of protein-heavy main dishes, like steaks, chicken thighs, or pork chops.
What makes this roasted asparagus recipe special? First, it’s so simple to prepare. And second, you’ll end up with delicious, tender asparagus that becomes golden brown in the heat of the oven. The tips get a little crispy, too! It’s my family’s favorite way to eat asparagus.
Another great thing about roasted asparagus is how fast it can be ready. In only about 10-15 minutes of roasting time, you can have this delicious side dish on your table.
Carbs in Asparagus
Asparagus is a healthy and nutritious vegetable, making it perfect for the keto diet or any other way of eating. Asparagus is a good source of fiber, folate, vitamins A, C, E and K, as well as chromium, a trace mineral.
1 cup of raw asparagus contains:
Calories: 27
Protein: 3 grams
Carbs: 5 grams
Sugar: 2 grams
Fiber: 3 grams
Net Carbs: 2 grams
Ingredients in Roasted Asparagus
With only a few ingredients and five minutes of prep time, this is sure to be one of your new favorite weeknight recipes. I hope this recipe for roasted asparagus will become a favorite at your house like it is at mine.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make roasted asparagus:
- Fresh asparagus. When you are shopping, look for firm, fresh-looking asparagus stalks that are a vibrant green color. Thinner stalks will cook more quickly than the larger stalks.
- Olive Oil. You’ll need a decent amount of oil to roast the asparagus. I use about 2 tablespoons. It may seem like a lot, but it really helps the asparagus cook evenly and get nice and caramelized.
- Salt and Pepper.
How to Trim Asparagus
For this recipe, it’s best to prepare the fresh asparagus stalks by trimming the bottoms. The ends of asparagus can be tough and woody, so you’ll want to cut them off before roasting.
To see where you need to trim, sharply bend a few asparagus stalks near the base. They should snap at the right spot. Then you can line them up with the rest of the bunch, and trim them all at the same point.
Flavor Variations for Roasted Asparagus
For this basic recipe, I call for just salt and pepper as the seasonings. But, this recipe is easy to change up by adding your favorite herbs and spices. I encourage you to add more flavors and seasonings to suit your taste. Here are some ideas.
- Add a few cloves of minced garlic, or 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder to the asparagus before roasting
- Add up to a tsp of dried herbs, or an all-purpose herb blend.
- Add a tbsp of balsamic vinegar to the asparagus before roasting. Add it to the bowl when you’re tossing the asparagus in the olive oil. (This is so good!)
- Add up to 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese to the asparagus, towards the end of the cooking time. This way it will melt and brown, but not burn in the high heat of the oven.
- To make this recipe Dairy-Free or Vegan: Omit the Parmesan cheese.
How to Roast Asparagus in the Oven
Making oven-roasted asparagus is very simple. After a few minutes of prep, the oven takes care of the rest of the work for you.
To start, wash and dry the asparagus thoroughly. Trim the tough end of the asparagus, and place them on a sheet pan.
Toss the asparagus with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Now is the time to add any additional seasonings, like Balsamic vinegar, red pepper flakes, herbs, or other seasonings.
Next, spread the asparagus out in a single layer, being careful not to overcrowd the pan.
Finally, roast the asparagus in a hot oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until they are tender and caramelized. You’ll know they are done when the asparagus is easily pierced through by a fork. The cooking time vary depending on the thickness of your asparagus. Pencil-thin asparagus will be done in as little as 10 minutes. Thicker asparagus will need between 15 to 20 minutes.
Tips for the Best Roasted Asparagus
These tips apply to this roasted asparagus recipe, but also for other roasted vegetable dishes like roasted broccoli or roasted cauliflower.
- Make sure that the asparagus stalks are pretty dry after rinsing them. You can use a salad spinner or pat them down with paper towels.
- Be generous with the olive oil. Toss the asparagus to make sure that it is coated in a thin layer of oil. The oil will make sure that it cooks and browns well.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. It’s important to spread the asparagus out into a single layer on a large pan. You can use two pans if you don’t have one pan that is large enough to hold all of it at once. If you crowd the pan, the asparagus will end up steaming and you won’t get brown and crispy edges.
- Use a high enough oven temperature. 400F is the sweet spot in my oven. You may want to buy an oven thermometer if you aren’t sure if your oven is accurate.
- Shake the pan, or use a spatula to toss the asparagus about halfway through the cooking time for even cooking.
How to Store and Reheat Roasted Asparagus
- To store. Place cooked asparagus in a tightly lidded storage container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To reheat. For the best texture, you can reheat asparagus in the oven. Place it on a rimmed baking sheet, and reheat in the oven at 350 degrees F for 5-10 minutes, until heated through. For a faster method, you can reheat it in the microwave, though the texture will be a bit softer.
MORE KETO VEGETABLE SIDE DISHES
If you are looking for more delicious keto side dishes, check out these low-carb vegetable recipes.
- Easy Oven Roasted Cauliflower
- Easy Oven Roasted Broccoli
- Creamy Keto Mashed Cauliflower
- Easy Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Easy Garlic Butter Mushrooms
Easy Oven Roasted Asparagus
Ingredients
- 1 lb asparagus, trimmed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place the asparagus on a large, rimmed sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Toss the asparagus stalks until they are evenly coated, then spread them into a single layer.
- Roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until the asparagus is fork-tender, and lightly browned. Watch carefully towards the end of the baking time -- the cooking time will vary based on the thickness of your asparagus. Taste for seasoning, and serve hot.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 85Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 307mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 4g
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. Carb count will vary with different ingredients and brands. It should not be considered as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Save this Recipe
Pin this recipe to your Keto Recipes board on Pinterest so that you can come back and find it later.
