Vegetarian Today Recipe: Roasted Asparagus With Parmesan, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Olive Oil

Roasting or baking brings out all the natural flavor of the asparagus by concentrating their natural sugar. This is wonderful served at room temperature

Ingredients

1 1 / 4 to 1 1 / 2 pounds asparagus, ends trimmed, washed well
1 tablespoon softened butter, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and fresh-ground black pepper, to taste
1 / 2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes*
1/ 4 cup shredded parmesan or Asiago cheese
Juice of 1 lemon

Method

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add asparagus and cook 2 minutes. Drain; place in a bowl of ice water and drain. This can be done up to 2 days prior to baking.

Place asparagus in a baking dish. Distribute bits of butter over asparagus; drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake 20 minutes, turning asparagus occasionally, until asparagus is golden brown and tender. Sprinkle with sun-dried tomatoes, cheese and lemon juice. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Nutrition

Per serving: 88 calories, 59 percent calories from fat, 6 grams total fat, 2 grams saturated fat, 8 milligrams cholesterol, 6 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams total fiber, 3 grams total sugars, 4 grams net carbs, 5 grams protein, 179 milligrams sodium.

*If the tomatoes seem plump and moist, you can use as is. If they seem dry, you need to reconstitute them by soaking in boiling water about 15 minutes.