Roasted Asparagus with Pine Nuts and Parmesan

This side dish is great any time, but is best when fresh asparagus is in season. Roasted Asparagus with Pine Nuts and Parmesan has perfectly cooked asparagus with the saltiness of freshly grated parmesan and the nuttiness of delicately toasted pine nuts. Super fast, super yummy, and super easy!

Lord Byron’s Kitchen is no stranger to a good asparagus recipe, but when something is as good as Roasted Asparagus with Pine Nuts and Parmesan, why not share it!? Before we get into this recipe, it might be worth mentioning that if you haven’t checked out some of my other asparagus recipes, you might want to check out some of my personal favourites.

I think my absolute favourite is this Baked Asparagus with Eggs and Parmesan. To me, it’s a complete meal, but also great served with a roasted chicken breast. Speaking of complete meals, that’s exactly how I feel about this Asparagus and Egg Pasta Salad. It’s great as a side too, but it’s so good, I can eat a whole bowl of it as a meal! Finally, you know I’ve said it a million times over that simple is best, so you can’t be the simplicity of Lemon Butter Asparagus!

I used to think of asparagus primarily as a side dish to grilled steak. Is it me or does every steak house restaurant serve asparagus with steak!? I’m not complaining, mind you! But, I like to use asparagus quite a bit, not just as a side. In some cases, it should be the main, not an afterthought.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE:

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this Roasted Asparagus with Pine Nuts and Parmesan recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Olive Oil – I like to use light, extra virgin olive oil because I prefer the muted flavour. But, you can use any olive oil you prefer.
• Asparagus – Buy two bunches, which are usually about 24 spears. If you don’t need that much, you can halve the entire recipe.
• Pine Nuts – See the notes below on pine nuts. I have included alternatives because pine nuts can be quite costly.
• Parmesan Cheese – I love to use freshly grated parmesan whenever possible, but I’m not against the kind bought in a can either if that fits better into your grocery budget.
• Salt & Ground Black Pepper
• Parsley – Both for freshness and garnish.

PINE NUTS

I use pine nuts often in my recipes, so I will buy a large bag at Costco. The bag costs about $40, but it will last a long time. Pay attention to the expiry date before you purchase and buy one that expires in a year or two from now.

Once you open the package of pine nuts, avoid placing your hand in the bag. Carefully pour out the amount you need. To keep the pine nuts fresh and from spoiling, the less contamination the better! Seal the bag and keep the bag in your fridge. It will last for months!

If you want to use a substitute, I would recommend slivered almonds, chopped hazelnuts, or even macadamia. The taste might be slightly different, but you want to mimic the texture of the pine nuts. Any of these substitutes, or the pine nuts themselves, will not need to be toasted first. And, you should buy the unsalted versions.

PARMESAN CHEESE

I know a wedge of parmesan – even a small one – can be anywhere from 12 to 20 dollars. So, you can use other cheeses that will save you a few bucks. My go-to cheese if I can’t get good parmesan is pecorino romano. It has a very similar taste and texture.

I have another option that’s a little outside the box, but don’t knock it until you try it! Have you heard of nutritional yeast? It’s quite good and is an ingredient many vegans will use as a parmesan alternative.

Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast commonly used as an ingredient in creamy, dairy-free cheese substitutes. You can often find it used as a topping for foods like my Doritos Cool Ranch Popcorn.

I’ve also used it in my Homemade Ranch Seasoning, which is great stirred into buttermilk to make a salad dressing. Or into sour cream for a very tasty ranch dip! I’ve also used it in this Garlic Bread recipe. Honestly, Dear Reader, it’s delicious!

HOW TO PREPARE ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH PINE NUTS AND PARMESAN

This Roasted Asparagus with Pine Nuts and Parmesan recipe is so easy! The main focus, other than the taste, is to perfectly roast the asparagus so that it is not overcooked. There is a fine line that happens when asparagus goes from perfectly cooked to overly cooked. It goes from a bit firm with a slight crunch to soft and limp. So, to avoid that, try to buy asparagus that is larger rather than skinny.

Preheating your oven to 425 degrees F is important. A really hot oven will start to cook the asparagus immediately rather than slowly as the oven heats up. This will also help to prevent soft and limp asparagus. Trim the tough ends of the asparagus, wash the spears, and pat them dry with a paper towel. Line them up on a baking sheet. They should be in a single layer – not overlapping at all!

Drizzle over the olive oil and sprinkle over the salt and ground black pepper. Toss the asparagus to coat well and re-distribute so that they are in a single layer once again. Roast for five minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle over the pine nuts. Roast for five more minutes and remove from the oven once more. Sprinkle over the parmesan. Plate and garnish. Serve immediately.

ASPARAGUS TRIVIA

Before you get to the recipe though, here’s a little bit of trivia for you.  Did you know that asparagus has been used as a vegetable and as a medicine?  It is pictured as an offering on an Egyptian piece of art dating to 3000 BC.  

In ancient times, it was also known in Syria and in Spain.  Greeks and Romans ate it fresh when in season, and dried the vegetable for use in winter; Romans even froze it high in the Alps, for the Feast of Epicurus.

Emperor Augustus created the “Asparagus Fleet” for hauling the vegetable, and coined the expression “faster than cooking asparagus” for quick action.  A recipe for cooking asparagus is in the oldest surviving book of recipes, Apicius’ third-century AD De re coquinaria, Book III.  Quite this history this little vegetable has, don’t you agree?