A side dish of perfectly roasted Asparagus with an addictive crispy topping made with bacon, Parmesan, and fresh parsley. Easy, delicious, and a gorgeous presentation!
You know what makes me happy? Asparagus season.
Asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables, so we eat a ton of it in the Spring when it is freshest and most nutritious. I have a ton of asparagus recipes on my spring recipes to try list!
Related recipe: Lemony Asparagus with Bacon Side Dish
Roasted asparagus
Roasting asparagus is probably the easiest way to cook it: just toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast it until it's cooked to your liking.
I typically roast asparagus (and all vegetables) at a higher temperature than 350F. I go for 375F or higher, depending on the vegetable. This not only speeds up the cooking process, but makes everything nice and crispy to make a delicious asparagus side dish.
Related recipe: How to Grill Asparagus
Crispy topping
I wanted to add a little extra somethin' somethin' to this roasted asparagus, so I mixed up some of my favorite flavorful ingredients to make a crispy topping:
- Bacon
- Parmesan
- Parsley
- Lemon juice
- Bread crumbs
I cook the bacon and then combine it with freshly grated Parmesan (but the stuff in the green can would be OK too if that's what you have on hand), chopped parsley, lemon juice, and Panko bread crumbs.
Related recipe: Bacon Parsnip Fries
It doesn't look pretty before it's cooked, but just wait until it is roasted: the Panko bread crumbs get all toasty, the cooked bacon gets even baconier. The parsley releases its aroma as it's baked. The whole thing is pretty delicious on top of roasted asparagus.
Related recipe: Creamy Asparagus Leek Soup
Thin or thick asparagus?
You can use any kind of asparagus for this recipe, it all depends on your preference. Just keep in mind that the thinner asparagus will be cooked through more by the time the topping gets all nice and crispy. The chubby asparagus will be more crisp tender.
If you like softer vegetables, use thinner asparagus.
If you scroll up, you'll see that I made this both with thin and thick asparagus. I like both kinds!
Related recipe: BBQ Pulled Pork Asparagus Pizza
Doubling the recipe?
This side dish is best served right in the baking pan so the crispy topping stays put right until people dig in.
If you want to double this recipe, I recommend making it in two separate baking dishes so the crispy topping is more evenly distributed over the asparagus.
Got leftovers?
Got leftovers? Reheat in the oven for 5-10 minutes at 350F to crisp up the topping.
Looking for more asparagus recipes?
- Lemony asparagus with bacon
- BBQ pulled pork and asparagus pizza
- Mac and cheese bar - asparagus makes an AMAZING topping for mac and cheese bowls
Did you enjoy this recipe? Let me know with a comment and a star rating below! And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it for later on Pinterest:
Asparagus with Crispy Topping
Ingredients
- 1 lemon - for juicing and slicing
- 3 slices bacon
- ¼ cup parsley leaves
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 lb asparagus - , ends trimmed - about 2 inches
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ⅛ teaspoon salt - (or to taste)
- Freshly ground black pepper - to taste
Special equipment
- 9x11 baking dish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F. Brush or spray a ~9x11 baking dish with olive oil.
- Slice the lemon in half. Juice half the lemon to make ~1 tablespoon lemon juice. Slice the other half of the lemon into 3-4 thin slices.
- Cook the bacon, then place on a paper towel to absorb the extra grease and cool down. Crumble the bacon.
- In a small food processor, combine the cooked crumbled bacon, parsley, lemon juice, and Parmesan and pulse for several seconds until everything is broken up and mixed together. Transfer the bacon mixture to a medium bowl and stir in the Panko breadcrumbs.
- Arrange the trimmed asparagus on the baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper, and give it a gentle shake to spread the seasonings around. Top the asparagus with crispy bacon topping and lemon slices (see photos in blog post).
- Roast at 375F for 15-20 minutes, or until the asparagus is cooked to your liking and the bacon topping is crispy and browned on top.
- Serve topped with fresh parsley, grated parmesan, and lemon slices for garnish.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information displayed is an estimate and not to be used as dietary or nutritional advice. Consult a nutritionist or dietician for nutritional info based on the exact ingredients you use.
Little Cooking Tips
Monday 7th of March 2016
Lol what is Aldo doing in the photo?:) Btw we're still house hunting ourselves as well, but there are very very few choices available due to the crisis here (people don't move so there aren't many houses/appartments vacant). The asparagus idea is fantastic! Believe it or not, Greece is an asparagus exporting country, but Greeks do not cook asparagus for some strange reason. It wasn't a part of the traditional Greek diet, so the humble asparagus never managed to convince the average Greek household to give them a chance:) We also rarely use them ourselves, but we'll be definitely trying them your way as soon as we get some in the next few days! Thank you for another yummy idea dear Kate! Sending you lots and lots of hugs, Panos and Mirella xoxoxo
Kate
Wednesday 9th of March 2016
Aldo is making practice slime for the kids birthday party!
Isn't it weird how some countries don't eat the food they export? Are you able to get your hands on asparagus if you wanted to though? It is one of our favorite vegetables, and we usually eat lots of it when it is in season for the next few months, so much that we get tired of it for a little while!
Tania @ COOKTORIA
Sunday 6th of March 2016
This asparagus looks delicious! I will definitely give it a try, Kate!
Kate
Wednesday 9th of March 2016
Thanks Tania!