Gratinated asparagus is a tasty, light side dish perfect for enhancing one of the spring’s signature vegetables. During 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, but it wins everyone over with its golden crust and rich flavor. To prepare these oven-baked asparagus, you just need 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, you can enrich the recipe with bechamel, as indicated at the end of the recipe, or with breadcrumbs, as in the crispy baked asparagus. Perfect as a seasonal side dish, gratinated asparagus is 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 enjoy the delicate taste of asparagus enhanced by the butter and cheese seasoning. If you’re wondering how to cook asparagus differently from usual, this is one of the simplest and most delicious solutions. Try them too: your spring table will be even more delightful!
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4People
- Cooking methods: Oven, Steam Cooking
- 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
- 28.22 oz asparagus
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1.77 oz Parmesan Cheese PDO (grated)
- 1 pinch salt
Tools
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Steam Cooking Basket
- 1 Baking Dish 11×8.7 inches approximately
How to Prepare Gratinated Asparagus with Butter and Parmesan
To prepare gratinated asparagus, first clean the asparagus: remove the tough and fibrous end of the stalk, where it naturally snaps when bent (1). Steam them for about 10 minutes, until tender. If you don’t have a steamer or a steam cooking basket, you can boil them in water for about 8 minutes. Drain and let them cool slightly. Butter a baking dish with a little butter and arrange the asparagus, if possible in a single layer (2). If not, you can slightly overlap them.
Place pieces of butter and plenty of grated parmesan on top (3). Bake the asparagus in a preheated oven at 356°F (static) for about ten minutes; to better gratin the surface, you can turn on the oven grill in the last 2 minutes of cooking (4).
Serve the gratinated asparagus immediately after baking, as an appetizer or as an unconventional side dish.
Storage
You can store gratinated asparagus in the refrigerator for a couple of days, then briefly heat 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 bechamel and sprinkle with a couple of tablespoons of parmesan.
