Cheesy Lemon Pepper Roasted Asparagus
- Yield: serves 4
Ingredients
Scale
1 lb. fresh asparagus, woody ends trimmed
1 TBSP olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1 heaping tsp freshly cracked black pepper (or more)
Zest of one lemon and the juice of half of it
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup shredded mozzarella
½ cup grated parmesan (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position.
- Arrange the asparagus spears on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with the salt and pepper. If you need a little more oil to ensure a full coating, go for it. Squeeze the lemon juice over top, followed by the zest. Sprinkle the garlic over everything and give it all a toss, rolling and turning the spears around until nice and coated (especially the tips).
- Arrange the asparagus spears side by side in a single layer.
- Roast for 10 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven, sprinkle with the mozzarella and parmesan, either all over or in a concentrated row (for extra cheesy bites, as photographed). Put the tray back in the oven so the cheeses can melt and bubble up a little bit; about 3 to 5 minutes. Enjoy warm.