Spring, the season of asparagus! If you love this delicately flavored vegetable, among the many possible asparagus recipes you can prepare, I recommend adding crispy baked asparagus, which will win you over with their versatility and ease of preparation. In this recipe, after a brief boiling in water, the asparagus are coated with a tasty breading of breadcrumbs and Parmesan and baked until perfectly crispy: a procedure similar to that of sandy potatoes. Ideal as a side dish, crispy baked asparagus can also be served as an alternative appetizer or as an original and healthy snack, perfect to enjoy with your hands!
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Oven, Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring
- Energy 144.32 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 11.19 (g) of which sugars 2.49 (g)
- Proteins 5.56 (g)
- Fat 9.47 (g) of which saturated 2.38 (g)of which unsaturated 0.99 (g)
- Fibers 2.60 (g)
- Sodium 305.24 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 117 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Sandy Asparagus
- 1.1 lbs asparagus
- 3 tbsps breadcrumbs (gluten-free for me)
- 2 tbsps grated Parmesan
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
Tools
- 1 Asparagus Cooker
- Kitchen String
- 1 Plate
- 1 Small Bowl
- 1 Baking Tray
- Parchment Paper
How to Prepare Baked Asparagus with Breadcrumbs (Sandy Asparagus)
For the English version of this recipe click here!
To prepare crispy baked asparagus, start by cleaning the asparagus: remove the end of the stalk where it naturally breaks when bent slightly (1). Rinse them thoroughly under running water. If you have an asparagus cooker – a tall and narrow pot specially designed for cooking asparagus with the tips up – use it to boil them.
Otherwise, you can use a regular pot, but to prevent them from moving too much during cooking and thus damaging the tips, you can tie the asparagus with some kitchen string (2). Fill a large pot with high sides about 2/3 full with water. When the water boils, salt it and place the bundle of asparagus in the pot, trying, if possible, to stand them upright (3).
Cover the pot with the lid and cook for 8-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the asparagus. They should soften but not fall apart. Then drain them and let them cool slightly (4). Meanwhile, prepare the breading: mix the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, a good pinch of salt, and a dash of pepper in a small bowl (5). When the asparagus have cooled enough to handle, remove the string and spread them out on a plate. Drizzle them with a little oil (6).
Gently mix them with your hands (7), then add the breading little by little (8), mixing them with your hands and trying to cover especially the tips (9).
Line a large baking tray with parchment paper, large enough to comfortably hold the sandy asparagus in a single layer. Arrange the asparagus side by side, adding any remaining breading from the plate. Drizzle them with a little oil (10). Bake in a preheated oven at 392°F (fan) for about 10 minutes, or until the breading is golden (11).
Remove the crispy baked asparagus from the oven and serve immediately, as a side or appetizer.
Storage
If you have leftovers, you can store the asparagus in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
Tips and Variations
For a more robust flavor, you can replace the Parmesan, in whole or in part, with Pecorino Romano.
If you don’t have a fan oven, increase the temperature to 430°F and bake until golden.
FAQ
Can I use frozen asparagus?
Of course, you can use frozen asparagus all year round, which should be boiled while still frozen, extending the cooking time by 3-4 minutes.
