Pecorino + Lemon Oven Roasted Asparagus
*serves 4

If you’re looking for a way to add a little more green to your dinner table, look no further than the asparagus! And I’m not talking about steamed asparagus (although, I personally LOVE steamed asparagus with lots of salt, lemon and oil), but oven roasted asparagus takes about 10 minutes to prepare and really enhances the flavor profile of this lean green veggie — especially once you add a pop of lemon, garlic and pecorino romano to them.

Storage: When purchased, asparagus can be stored in a glass of water, stem side down in the glass in the refrigerator for 3-4 days

Preparation: The bottoms of asparagus are thick and woody som before cooking, you’ll want to begin by trimming those down at least 1-2.” After that, I actually like to use the vegetable peeler to remove some of the stalk. I find this helps with 1) cooking time and 2) the tenderness of asparagus since I think some people are turned off by this veggie because it can be tough with chewing and quite stringy. Peeling them a bit helps a lot so it’s worth the time investment IMO.

To make pecorino and lemon oven roasted asparagus you’ll trim the stalks and peel the asparagus — then place the asparagus on a roasting tray to season. Begin by salting, adding crushed garlic, lemon zest and freshly ground black pepper.

Then douse the asparagus with extra virgin olive oil, tossing to coat the asparagus, and top with a snowy mountain of Locatelli aka freshly grated pecorino romano cheese. Finally, get them in a hot oven for their roasting because they are now ready!

The asparagus will only need about 10-12 minutes to roast in a 425 degree oven. The asparagus will get all brown and caramelized and the cheese — oh, the cheese and garlic — will get crispy and brown — adding not only depth of flavor but TEXTURE. We love food with flavor and texture, particularly veggies, because it makes them oh so satisfying. I like to plate these and finish them off with another tiny sprinkle of salt, a drizzle of evoo and a tiny squeeze of lemon for that extra pucker of acid and brightness to balance the sharp saltiness of the Locatelli cheese!

Pecorino + Lemon Oven Roasted Asparagus
*serves 4

Ingredients
1 large bunch of asparagus, cleaned, ends trimmed and peeled
2 cloves of garlic, pressed or finely minced
1-2 teaspoons of salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Zest of 1 lemon and juice of half the lemon to add after roasting
2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1/4-1/3 cup of grated Locatelli aka pecorino romano cheese

Instructions
—Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
—Placed trimmed and peeled asparagus on a roasting tray **be sure you’re not crowing the tray! this will result in oven steamed asparagus, not roasted asparagus! we want these to brown, not sit in a shallow pool of water and steam — if the asparagus are too close together on the tray, this is what will happen!
—Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper, lemon zest and garlic
—Drizzle with olive oil, toss to coat the asparagus, arranging them on the tray so they are side by side and not crowded, and top with cheese
—Roast for 10-12 minutes or until asparagus and cheese are browned and look “crispy” NOT burnt!
—Finish by adding salt as needed, a squeeze of lemon and one more drizzle of olive oil
—Serve warm as a side to any protein