Baked Asparagus with Cheese and Cherry Tomatoes
This Baked Asparagus with Cheese and Cherry Tomatoes recipe is made with fresh asparagus, cherry tomatoes, parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Quick, easy and full of freshness and flavor. It’s the best side dish to serve no matter the season!
Ingredients
- 1 bunch asparagus spears washed, dried, and trimmed
- 1 ½ cup cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced or grated
- 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 cup Mozzarella cheese grated
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- sea salt to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- chopped fresh basil for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees C).
- Rinse the asparagus under cold water, place them onto a dry clean kitchen towel and pat dry. Snap off the woody ends of the asparagus (about 1 to 2 inches) with your finger. If you sharply bend the asparagus near the base, it will snap in the right place. Alternatively, you can gather them all together and cut the ends at the same time using knife. Discard the trims or save for making soup later. Wash and cut the tomatoes in half. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add in the garlic and stir till garlic is fragrant. This takes about 1-2 minutes. Take the 9 x 13 baking dish and slightly brushed with melted garlic butter.
- Place the trimmed asparagus spears in a prepared buttered 9 x 13 baking dish. Drizzle the remaining melted garlic butter over the asparagus. Sprinkle salt, pepper, smoked paprika over the asparagus. Toss to combine with hands or kitchen tongs until the spears are lightly coated in butter. Make sure they’re coated evenly. Arrange asparagus in a single layer on your baking dish. Sprinkle an even layer of parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese over the top. Then arrange sliced grape tomatoes over the cheese and place in the oven.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes for thin asparagus spears and 18-20 minutes for thick asparagus or until a pairing knife (or fork) inserted at the base of the largest spear meets little resistance.
- Once done, sprinkle with sliced basil over the top. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Asparagus - If you buy more asparagus, keep the fresh asparagus in the fridge. Trim the ends and make sure they are kept wet either in a large cup with a bit of water or damp towel around the ends.
- How to Store Cooked Asparagus: Roasted asparagus is best served when it's fresh out of the oven. You can store cooked asparagus in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days (gently reheated before serving).
- You can roast asparagus and cherry tomatoes for 10 minutes and then add the Mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese -OR- if you prefer your cheese a little more toasted, then add the Mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese right from the start. You can’t really go wrong though!
- When you are roasting the asparagus and tomatoes, make sure you spread them out evenly on the baking dish or on the oven tray and not crowd them too much. This will help them roast and allow the asparagus to colour up a bit. For this recipe, they will all fit in a medium-size baking dish or on a single tray but if you want to double the recipe, use large baking dish or two baking trays.
Nutrition
Calories: 126kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 10gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 350mgPotassium: 49mgFiber: 0.03gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 250IUVitamin C: 0.5mgCalcium: 314mgIron: 0.2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!