Looking to make a bright and healthy side dish for your next dinner? You must try this Loaded Asparagus. Topped with cheese, roasted tomatoes, pine nuts and fresh basil. This gluten-free recipe requires fresh wholesome ingredients and only 15 minutes to make.
I just can’t get enough of these delicious summertime veggies! I love eating vegetables raw but one of my go-to ways to prepare them is to roast them. Not only is it very quick to do but also very easy.
Have you ever trimmed asparagus before? It is very quick and easy to do and does not require any use of a knife. You will notice that the ends of the asparagus are very tough and woody. Even when you cook the entire asparagus without removing the ends it still is very hard and not appetizing to eat. To avoid eating the tough ends simply remove them by snapping the bottoms off using your hands. To do so I grab the ends of the asparagus and slightly bend it until the hard end naturally snaps.
Roasting your asparagus is actually very quick and easy. After you have trimmed the ends of your asparagus arrange your asparagus evenly on a baking sheet and arrange them so they are laying out flat. Drizzle olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and toss. Roast your asparagus at 425 degrees fahrenheit (218 C) for 8 minutes. To test to see if your asparagus is cooked through simply use a fork to test it. If the fork pierced all the way through easily then it is completely cooked.
This Loaded Asparagus is:
Healthy
Refreshing
Nourishing
Wholesome
Quick and easy to make
When you make this recipe I would love it if you would snap a photo of your food and share it with me on instagram @itsallgoodvegan.com. I can’t wait to see how you like it.
Loaded Asparagus
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of thin asparagus, trimmed
- 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped in thirds
- ½ cup mozzarella, I used vegan cheese, gluten-free
- 2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped finely
- 1 Tbsp pine nuts, garnish (optional)
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit (218 C).
- Arrange the chopped cherry tomatoes on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tsp of olive oil and set aside.
- Arrange the trimmed asparagus on a baking sheet evenly. Make sure not to stack the asparagus. Drizzle 1 Tbsp of olive oil, then add the minced garlic, salt, and pepper evenly on the asparagus.
- Place both the apagarous and tomatoes in the oven for 8 minutes.
- Remove the tomatoes and asparagus out of the oven. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top of the asparagus. *I sprinkled my cheese in the middle. Place the asparagus back in the oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
- Top your Loaded Asparagus with the tomatoes, fresh basil and pine nuts. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Leftovers will last until the next day wrapped up. Save any longer and the asparagus becomes really soggy.
Make it Your Own
- Are you gluten free? This Roasted Asparagus Bruschetta is the perfect gluten free side dish.
- Love a lot of garlic? Do not add the fresh chopped garlic to your asparagus before roasting.
- If you are using thicker asparagus I recommend baking it for a couple minutes longer or until it is fork tender.
This looks lovely! The asparagus is so beautiful this year.
Perfect!
Where does the balsamic vinegar go? I don’t see it mentioned in the instructions
I apologize Shirley, that was a typo. I originally added balsamic as an option (to drizzle on top) but decided with the cheese it was not necessary.