Quick and Easy Asparagus

Keep this super quick asparagus recipe in your back pocket.

One of the quickest and easiest ways to prepare fresh asparagus is to simply blanch them for a couple of minutes and toss them with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and lemon zest.

Asparagus with shredded Parmesan in a bowl with a spoon
Alison Bickel

Boiling them for only a couple of minutes ensures that the asparagus will be cooked through, but still crisp and vibrant green. Asparagus should have a gentle crunch to them; they should not be mushy.

A little lemon zest helps brighten the natural flavor of the asparagus, and the Parm and olive oil? Well, of course, they make everything taste good.

Asparagus with shredded Parmesan in a bowl with a spoon
Alison Bickel

How To Choose the Best Asparagus

The best asparagus is fresh. To tell if asparagus is fresh, look for stalks that are a rich, deep green color that get lighter toward the end of the stalk. The stalks should be firm to the touch. Pass by any stalks that are limp or dry with cracked ends. The tips of the asparagus should be tightly closed and the stalks should be uniform for even cooking.

Tips for Cleaning Asparagus

It’s always important to clean fresh produce before preparing it. Asparagus can have grit in its tips, so the first thing you should do is rinse it under cold water. Then you can prepare asparagus for cooking.

Remove the tough end from the rest of the stalk by either cutting or snapping it off. If using a knife, cut 1/2 inch to 1 inch off the bottom, depending on where the green fades into white. If you're snapping the tough end off, bend the thicker end of the stalk to see where it snaps naturally.

Or, you can cut off about a quarter-inch of the bottom of the stalk and peel a thin layer of skin off the lower half of the stalk with a vegetable peeler. The asparagus is now ready for your recipe.

What Does Blanching Mean?

Blanching is a cooking technique that partially cooks food. It’s commonly used with vegetables like asparagus. Vegetables are put in a pot of boiling water for a very short time, usually under 5 minutes, and then plunged into a bowl of ice water to quickly stop them from continuing to cook. Blanching makes the outside of a vegetable tender while the inside remains fairly crisp. It also helps keep color bright.

You can blanch asparagus when you want to serve it immediately, or you can blanch it before freezing it. Most fresh vegetables benefit from blanching before freezing because the process stops enzymes that would otherwise cause the vegetable to lose flavor, color, and texture over time while frozen.

Great Recipes That Use Asparagus

Reader Variations

  • Maggie used lemon pepper seasoning instead of lemon zest.
  • Carole added a pinch of red pepper flakes.
  • Mardi chose to keep the asparagus spears whole.
  • Gina added lemon juice and minced garlic.
  • Sharon thought of using this recipe's treatment on broccoli—yum!
From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Quick and Easy Asparagus

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 20 mins
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch medium asparagus (1 pound)

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Boil the blanching water:

    Fill a medium saucepan halfway with lightly salted water. Bring to a boil.

  2. Prep the asparagus:

    Prepare the asparagus while the water is heating. Rinse them thoroughly. Break off any tough, white bottoms and discard.

    Cut the spears into 1- to 2-inch sections, slicing the asparagus at a slight diagonal.

  3. Blanch the asparagus:

    Add the asparagus to the boiling water and lower the heat slightly to maintain a simmer. Parboil the asparagus for exactly 2 minutes. Drain the hot water.

    A pot with asparagus making an asparagus recipe.
    Alison Bickel
  4. Toss with the olive oil, parmesan, lemon zest:

    Toss the asparagus with olive oil, parmesan, and lemon zest while it's still hot.

    Salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or room temperature.

    Did you enjoy this recipe? Let us know with a rating and review!

    A metal bowl with asparagus pieces tossed with Parmesan
    Alison Bickel
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
97 Calories
8g Fat
5g Carbs
4g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 97
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 10%
Saturated Fat 1g 7%
Cholesterol 2mg 1%
Sodium 141mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 5g 2%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 9mg 47%
Calcium 51mg 4%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 261mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.