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Garlic Parmesan Sauteed Asparagus is a quick and easy side dish that will pair well with any protein. This healthy asparagus recipe is a simple and satisfying way to get your veggies in!
I am a lucky mom! Why, you ask? Well, my kids are not very picky eaters. They love asparagus. They love brusselsprouts. And they love broccoli, green beans and peas. There are some things they don't like, but it is minimal. For that, I am so lucky! I never did anything special, just kept offering the food over and over. Sometimes cooked in different ways, other times cooked the same as offered before. Now if I could get them to love doing dishes too... I don't think I will get that lucky!
What's in Garlic Parmesan Sauteed Asparagus?
Very little ingredients for a side dish with pungent flavors!
How to store asparagus until ready to use?
The best way I have learned to store asparagus in the fridge is to place the asparagus stems in a wide mouth glass and fill the glass half full with water. This will help keep the asparagus alive and stay fresh in the fridge for as long as a week, sometimes even longer. If I buy asparagus in plastic packages, like Aldi sells it most times, I take the asparagus out of the package and store it in a glass of water until I'm ready to use it. Sometimes I will need to use a rubber band to keep the asparagus upright in the glass. Especially, if the asparagus is really thin stalks. Such an easy trick to keep asparagus fresh longer!
How to Make Sauteed Asparagus with Garlic & Parmesan?
This is such a simple and quick side dish to make! The end result will be tender and flavorful asparagus stalks that everyone will be fighting over! Well, at least at our dinner table it is!
First, trim the asparagus and set aside. Then melt the butter and olive oil together over medium-low heat in a large skillet with deep sides. Add the asparagus to the skillet and saute for 2-3 minutes stirring with tongs a few times.
Next, add the garlic, salt and pepper and saute veggies another minute or two until the garlic is fragrant.
Now reduce the heat to low and add the water. Stir everything around a bit with tongs. If the asparagus stalks are really thick, cover the pan and simmer for about 5 minutes until the asparagus is bright green and tender. If the asparagus stalks are really thin, leave the pan uncovered and simmer for 5 minutes until tender and bright green. Thin asparagus will turn out mushy and soggy if simmered covered or for too long. Keep an eye on the thin asparagus. Nobody likes or wants mushy asparagus!
Remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle Parmesan Cheese and let sit a minute or two so the cheese can melt a bit.
Serve this bright green, healthy asparagus side dish with your favorite main course!
How to properly trim asparagus?
This is a simple and quick technique to trim asparagus. Find the longest stalk of asparagus in your bunch, then holding both ends of the asparagus with your index finger and thumb start bending the asparagus. The asparagus will snap, throw away the woody end. Take the top and line it up with the rest of the asparagus and using a knife trim the ends off. You can snap each asparagus stalk if you like, but this way is so much faster!
What to serve with Garlic Parmesan Sauteed Asparagus?
- Perfect Roast Chicken
- Grandma's Meatloaf
- Baked Rigatoni Casserole
- Oven Fried Chicken Legs
- Cheesy Spaghetti Bake
Need more healthy side dish ideas? Check out these recipes!
- Roasted Broccoli & Cauliflower
- Garlicky Broccolini
- Honey Garlic Glazed Carrots
- Roasted Asparagus
- Tomato & Cucumber Salad
Try out this Garlic Parmesan Sauteed Asparagus recipe and let me know what you think of it in the comments below! Pictures encouraged on Instagram with the hashtag #heathershomemadekitchen You can also follow me on Social Media to see what other crazy things my family and I are doing! If you like what you see, please share with your friends and family!
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Garlic Parmesan Sauteed Asparagus
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 bunches asparagus, washed & trimmed, around 1½-2 pounds before trimmed
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic, about 6 cloves
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
- ¼ cup water
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a large skillet with deep sides, melt butter and olive oil together over medium-low heat.
- Add the asparagus and saute for 2-3 minutes, tossing with tongs a couple times.
- Add the garlic, salt and pepper. Saute for another minute or two until the garlic is fragrant.
- Reduce heat to low and add the water.
- For thick asparagus stalks, cover pan and simmer for 5 minutes until the asparagus is bright green and tender.
- For thin asparagus, simmer uncovered for 5 minutes or less until the asparagus is bright green and tender.
- Remove from heat and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Let sit a few minutes to allow cheese to melt a bit.
- Serve and enjoy!
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