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Roasted Asparagus (or Grilled Asparagus) with Buttery Breadcrumbs 780 | Umami Girl
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4.80 from 5 votes

Roasted Asparagus (or Grilled Asparagus) with Buttery Breadcrumbs

My mom used to make blanched asparagus with buttery bread crumbs, so I grew up eating that and craving it basically every moment that I wasn't eating it. Here I've added a tangy, flavorful marinade and swapped the blanching for roasting (or grilling). It's great all the ways, all the time.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Additional Time30 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Sides
Cuisine: American
Keyword: buttery bread crumbs, grilled asparagus, marinated asparagus, roasted asparagus
Servings: 4
Calories: 160kcal
Author: Carolyn Gratzer Cope

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ pounds asparagus

For the marinade

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon champagne or white wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 medium garlic clove minced
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • A few grinds black pepper

For the bread crumbs

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • ½ cup plain or Italian-style dry bread crumbs

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425°F with a rack in the center, or heat grill to medium-high.
  • Wash, dry and trim off the woody bottom portion of the asparagus.

Marinate the asparagus

  • In a large zip-top plastic bag or a long, shallow dish, combine the olive oil, vinegar, lemon zest and juice, mustard, and a few good grinds pepper.
  • Using a chef's knife, chop and then mash together the garlic and salt until it forms a paste. Stir into marinade. 
  • Add asparagus and toss to coat.
  • Marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, or in the fridge for up to a day.

Cook the asparagus

  • Remove asparagus from marinade and place in a single, evenly spaced layer on a baking sheet. (I sometimes use a wire rack on a baking sheet, but it's not strictly necessary.)
  • Roast for about 15 minutes, depending on thickness of asparagus, until charred in spots on the outside and just tender on the inside. Alternatively, grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Make the breadcrumbs

  • Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Add bread crumbs and cook, stirring often, until the crumbs take on an amber color and smell like you couldn't possibly resist eating them by the spoonful.
  • Serve the asparagus with crumbs sprinkled overtop.

Video

Notes

    1. Prepping the asparagus will depend on age and thickness. When trimming the bottom ends, you can either cut off the dry or woody-looking parts with a knife or bend the asparagus with your fingers until it breaks. If the spears are very thick or not super-fresh, they may be tough and slightly fibrous at the bottom. If so, you can peel just the parts that aren't tender and leave the rest intact.
    2. Be sure to watch the breadcrumbs carefully and stir frequently. They can go from perfect to burned pretty quickly at the end of cooking.
    3. You can save the used marinade for about a week to use as salad dressing or to marinate something else.

Nutrition

Calories: 160kcal | Carbohydrates: 20.4g | Protein: 6.4g | Fat: 7.4g | Fiber: 4.4g