These Garlicky Lemony Crispy Roasted Asparagus are an ideal side dish during spring. Imagine grilled asparagus (because a high-temperature oven cooks them in a similar way :P), but with extra crunchiness and flavour thanks to a garlic, lemon and hazelnut topping! It’s perfect to change from classic roasted asparagus, and even those who say they’re not the biggest fans of asparagus can’t resist these.
I’m always looking for new (and easy) ways to enjoy vegetables. Even if I love them just the way they are, always cooked and eaten in the same way can get sooo boring (as happens with chicken breasts). During spring asparagus are in season and as a fan of them, I buy some every single week. So, after having baked and grilled them a few times already, it was time to make things a bit more fun… And that’s how this Garlicky Lemony Crispy Roasted Asparagus recipe was born.
In fact, the recipe is already a year old. I developed it last year but since I didn’t have a website, it only existed on Instagram with a few photos. With spring back and Mother’s Day just around the corner, I thought this would make an incredibly successful side.
And well… Little by little I’m catching up and I’m uploading the recipes onto the blog as promised :).
Garlicky Lemony Crispy Topping
This topping is what makes this dish so special and makes it a real hit. It has panko, which are sort of thick Japanese breadcrumbs, hazelnuts that provide a different type of crunch and flavour, lemon zest for freshness, and garlic, for more depth of flavour. Oh! And a little salt to enhance the flavours and olive oil for a perfect crust toastiness too.
By the way, I used panko because with it we get a crispier crust than with regular breadcrumbs. I find it in all big supermarkets nowadays (and always cheaper in Asian markets), but if you can’t find it use coarse regular breadcrumbs. That’ll do.
I like to spread the topping along the centre of the asparagus, with the tips and bottom end exposed, so you can see what’s underneath. It doesn’t have to look perfect! Once baked, the topping will look golden brown and have a very crunchy crust (the panko with the oil makes such an incredible crunchy effect) and your house will smell incredible (getting hungry while writing this, really!).
Some Tips for These Garlicky Lemony Crispy Roasted Asparagus
- Avoid using very thin asparagus, they’ll get cooked before the crispy topping builds a crunchy crust and if you waited for the topping to get golden, the asparagus could end up charred.
- When you zest the lemon, zest only the yellow part since the white part is bitter.
Do You Love Asparagus? Try These
If you make this Garlicky Lemony Crispy Roasted Asparagus recipe, be sure to leave a comment and rate it. Hearing from you is everything! Oh, and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram, I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking!
Garlicky Lemony Crispy Roasted Asparagus
Ingredients
- 350 g asparagus - woody ends removed
- 25 g panko
- 1 clove garlic - minced
- 15 g roasted hazelnuts - finely chopped
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Lemon wedges
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200ºC.
- Place the asparagus on a baking sheet, drizzle generously with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- In a bowl, mix the panko, garlic, hazelunts, lemon zest, a pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Spread the mix over the centre of the asparagus.
- Bake for 10 minutes in the middle rack of the oven and 5 minutes on the top third, until tender and the topping is golden and crispy.
- Serve on a platter with a drizzle of lemon juice if you want and extra lemon wedges. Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @paulasapron on Instagram and hashtag it #paulasapron.