Baked Lemon Asparagus

I served this lemon asparagus at my small Thanksgiving dinner this year. Since it was a tiny party, just 4 of us, I really wanted every single part of it to shine. I also didn’t want a lot of hassle in the kitchen so I could spend some time with everybody.

I prepped the lemon asparagus beforehand, and simply popped it in the oven on the top rack with mushroom and Anjou pear stuffing and a creamy baked pumpkin risotto on the bottom rack. The asparagus pan nicely blocked the hottest heat, cooking it perfectly, and simply reheating the other side dishes! Everything came out just right in 12 minutes!

How to Make This Recipe – Step by Step

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. (220 C.) Slice the stiff ends off of 1 bunch of asparagus.

2. Slice 1 lemon into 6 slices.

3. Mix together ½ tsp. dry garlic flakes and ½ tsp. lemon pepper.

4. Melt 2 tbsp. salted butter and drizzle over asparagus. Either use your hands or a mixing spoon to make sure every stalk of asparagus is completely coated. Gently massage into the tips.

5. Lay asparagus down onto a foil-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with half of the lemon pepper-garlic spice blend. (If you’ve sautéed your own garlic, wait until asparagus is done to sprinkle, so the garlic doesn’t burn).

6. Place 6 lemon slices right on top of the asparagus and bake for 10-12 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when you see the tips are perfectly crispy. Sprinkle with the rest of your spice blend and serve.

A Few Tips

1. Seriously, use butter instead of olive oil.

Butter in this recipe makes all the difference so don’t substitute olive oil if you don’t have to.

2. If you don’t have dry, garlic flakes:

You can mince 1 garlic clove and sauté it in a pan in 1 tsp. of olive oil for about 1-2 minutes until brown. Simply combine with lemon pepper when ready.

3. To prepare ahead of time, so all you have to do is bake when ready:

Slice the asparagus and lemons, mix your spice blend and get the asparagus nice and buttery. Then, place asparagus and lemons in a container with a lid and refrigerate until ready to bake. That way, you just have to remove, place them on a pan, sprinkle with lemon pepper and garlic, bake and serve.

Help yourself to more tasty side dishes!

• Stuffed Mushrooms with Risotto and Swiss Chard
• Seared Baby Bok Choy with Ginger Garlic Sauce
• Sautéed Swiss Chard with Caramelized Shallots
• Baked Mashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic and Herbed Goat Cheese
• Buttery, Sautéed Broccoli Rabe with Garlic & Red Onion

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