The gratinated asparagus are a tasty, light side dish perfect for enhancing one of the iconic spring vegetables. In this season, asparagus is particularly tender and flavorful and can be the star of many delicious recipes. The recipe for gratinated asparagus is simple and quick, yet conquers everyone with its golden crust and intense flavor. To prepare these oven-baked asparagus, you need only a few ingredients: fresh asparagus, to be briefly boiled or steamed, butter, and plenty of grated Parmesan. A quick pass in the oven will give an irresistible gratin effect. Alternatively, the recipe can be enriched with béchamel, as indicated at the end of the recipe, or with breadcrumbs, as in crispy oven-baked asparagus. Perfect as a seasonal side dish, gratinated asparagus are ideal to accompany meat or fish main courses, but they can also be served as an appetizing appetizer. They are also a great way to get kids to eat vegetables, as they often appreciate the delicate taste of asparagus enhanced by the butter and cheese seasoning. If you’re wondering how to cook asparagus differently than usual, this is one of the simplest and tastiest solutions. Try them too: your spring table will be even better!
You may also be interested in:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Affordable
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Oven, Steaming
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring
- Energy 134.48 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 5.51 (g) of which sugars 2.71 (g)
- Proteins 7.19 (g)
- Fat 10.14 (g) of which saturated 6.57 (g)of which unsaturated 3.54 (g)
- Fibers 2.94 (g)
- Sodium 175.22 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 160 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 Gratinated Asparagus
- 1.76 lbs asparagus
- 2 tbsp butter
- 0.5 cup Parmesan Reggiano DOP (grated)
- 1 pinch salt
Tools
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Steaming Basket
- 1 Baking Dish 11×9 inches approximately
How to Prepare Gratinated Asparagus with Butter and Parmesan
To prepare gratinated asparagus, first clean the asparagus: remove the hard, fibrous end of the stalk where it breaks naturally when bent (1). Steam them for about 10 minutes until they are tender. If you don’t have a steamer or a steaming basket, you can boil them in boiling water for about 8 minutes. Drain and let them cool slightly. Butter a baking dish with a little butter and arrange the asparagus in it, if possible in a single layer (2). If you can’t, you can slightly overlap them.
Place butter pieces and plenty of grated Parmesan on top (3). Cook the asparagus in a preheated oven at 356°F (static) for about ten minutes; to better gratinate the surface, you can turn on the oven grill for the last 2 minutes of cooking (4).
Serve the gratinated asparagus right out of the oven, as an appetizer or a different side dish.
Storage
You can store the gratinated asparagus in the refrigerator for a couple of days and then briefly reheat them in the oven or microwave before consuming.
Tips and Variations
For a richer version, instead of butter, you can cover the asparagus with 200 ml of béchamel and sprinkle everything with a couple of tablespoons of Parmesan.
