Sauteed Asparagus with Garlic and Parmesan
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Sauteed Asparagus is a quick, easy, and healthy side dish recipe. The asparagus spears are fresh and flavorful and will be ready to eat in only 10 minutes.
Sauteed asparagus cooked crisp tender and is a little bit garlicky and a little bit cheesy and ridiculously delicious. This is what spring looks like!
This is an asparagus recipe that I've been making for years. It's quick to make and goes well with roast chicken or my favorite Juicy Baked Pork Chops.
Why you need to make this sauteed asparagus recipe
- Garlic and salty parmesan are all things delicious.
- It's fast enough to make for a quick weeknight side but pretty and tasty enough for a special occasion.
- Asparagus is the best in spring when the stalks are small and tender.
- Everyone needs more asparagus in their lives. #truth
- Sauteeing asparagus over high heat creates dark blistered spots. Read: lots of flavor!
Ingredients
This quick and easy recipe is made with just 4 ingredients!
- Olive oil – just enough to saute the asparagus.
- Asparagus – you'll want to snap or cut off the tough, woody ends.
- Garlic – we use 3 cloves to add lots of delicious flavor.
- Parmesan cheese – use your vegetable peeler to shave strips off of a block of parmesan. It's delicious!
How to make sauteed asparagus
We love to saute asparagus when we need to get dinner on the table quickly as it's such an easy vegetable side dish recipe. But even though it's easy to make, it tastes delicious and always feels a little fancy. Here's how we do it:
- Start by cooking the asparagus in a little oil over high heat. We like to use high heat as it cooks it quickly and gives the asparagus little charred spots.
- Now, add the minced garlic and let it cook for no more than 2 minutes.
- Take the pan off the heat and add the parmesan cheese. You can season it with salt and pepper, but we find the parmesan cheese is enough flavor. That's it! You've just made sauteed asparagus!
The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
How to buy asparagus
Springtime is always the best time to buy asparagus. But no matter when you're buying it, make sure to look for smaller stalks. Thick asparagus can be quite woody and hard to chew. Thinner is better.
Also, take a look at the tops of the spears. If they've started to wilt or look slimy, don't buy them.
Recipe Tips
The best way to prepare asparagus is to snap the tough ends off. Doing it this way takes a little more time but ensures that you remove the woody part.
If you're in a hurry, you can pile the asparagus together and cut all the ends off at once.
What to serve with sauteed asparagus
My preference is usually a simply prepared protein and a big green salad. Here are my favorites:
If you're feeling extra hungry, these Smoky Roast Potatoes are delicious!
Should I blanch the asparagus before Sauteing?
Nope! There's no need to blanch the asparagus before you saute it. In fact, blanching the asparagus first will most likely overcook it and you'll be left with mushy asparagus – and nobody wants that!
How do you know when sauteed asparagus is done?
When you saute the asparagus, it will turn a wonderful, bright green color. If you pick one up, it will bend slightly in the middle, but it shouldn't flop right over.
Remember to subscribe to THE ENDLESS MEAL'S NEWSLETTER for FREE to get healthy and delicious recipes each week + our cookbook!
Favorite asparagus recipes
- Asparagus Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Asparagus Cherry Tomato and Goat Cheese Breakfast Tart
- One Pan Lemony Greek Chicken with Potatoes and Asparagus
- Green Goddess Pizza with Asparagus
Sauteed Asparagus Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 lb asparagus (tough ends cut or snapped off)
- 3 cloves garlic (finely minced)
- 1 ounce Parmesan cheese (shaved with a vegetable peeler)
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over high heat. Once it's hot, add the oil and asparagus. Using tongs, toss the asparagus so that it cooks evenly. (Make sure the asparagus is completely dry before adding it to the pan to avoid any oil splatters)2 lb asparagus, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- After 3 minutes, add the garlic to the pan. Cook for 2 minutes more then remove the pan from the heat.3 cloves garlic
- Add the parmesan to the pan and toss the asparagus so it's coated in the cheese. Serve right away.1 ounce Parmesan cheese
Video
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
This recipe is part of our Best Spring Side Dishes series.
Delicious, easy, and impressive 😉😁
Glad to find a new method of making asparagus as I have not had luck getting them just right regardless of how I made them. This recipe works with a couple alterations. First, I used my vegetable peeler to peel off the outer layer of the last 4 or so inches of the stalk. Though this takes time, it helped out tremendously in the end. Secondly, because 2 pounds of asparagus is difficult to fit in a 12 inch skillet, the asparagus must be moved rapidly and continuously so all of the vegetables come in contact with the heat. Also, I found the cooking time was double or triple the stated time and I had to reduce the heat down to medium to keep the pan from burning as all the oil was completely used up in the stated cooking time and the vegetables were still hard. I even had to resort to putting a cover on the pan in the last minutes of cook time, heat on medium, to get them to cook through.
I didn’t have block parmesan but I did have some good quality parm that i had previously grated. That worked well and I added a squeeze of lemon juice.
All that said, this was the best method of cooking asparagus and this is now my go to recipe.
Just don’t think you’re going to have perfectly cooked asparagus in the 5 or so minutes as the recipe states. Time may be cut down if you had a huge commercial sized skillet, maybe 14 to 16 inches in diameter, or if you only cooked one pound instead of the two listed.
And finally, this has got to be the buggiest website ever. While trying to post a review, it shut down and lost my whole review. I had to type it on notepad and copy and paste before it would shut down again.
I do appreciate the recipe as it works as a great starting point to asparagus perfection.
Delicious I added fresh lemon juice and served with gluten free chicken. I’d like to try your pork chop recipe.
Easy and Delicious!
Cooked exactly like the recipe called for and we all loved the asparagus with the garlic and the parmigiana cheese. ??
Hot oil flew out of the skillet on “high heat” (per the recipe) as I put the asparagus in.I am suffering major burns on two hands. Who posts a recipe with high heat and adding oil and a vegetable? This is utterly careless.
It sounds like the asparagus was wet when you put it into the pan. It’s the water, not the vegetable, that will cause the oil to spit. I’m sorry that happened to you. I’ve had oil burns before from a similar experience and know that it’s not fun at all. I’ve made a note in the recipe to make sure that others know to dry the asparagus before adding it to the pan.
So good if I was the last person on earth thats what I would make
Thank you for a delicious, healthy twist on a classic. So simple, yet so flavorful! I added the cheese in the serving dish to avoid it sticking to the pan. Wonderful!
So happy to hear that you enjoyed it!
Since my wife passed on I am having to learn to cook for myself. I like your baked pork chop recipe and the sauteed asparagus, but what about timing? Do I start the chops and do the asparagus while the chops are cooking? How long can either plate wait for the other without spoiling?
I’m really sorry to hear about your loss.
The pork chops and this recipe go really well together. I would get the pork chops in the oven first and then start the asparagus. They should be both done around the same time. If either need to sit at room temperature for a bit they’ll be just fine. 🙂
This is my new favorite asparagus recipe! Loved how easy it was to make and the whole family wanted more.
I’m so happy to hear the recipe was a hit!
This IS absolutely what Spring looks like! How can anyone not LOVE these lovely green stalks of goodness? As always, your photos look awesome! Makes me hungry.
Asparagus is SO good isn’t it? I’m always so happy for spring when I start to see it pop up at the grocery store again!
I can’t live without my cast iron skillet! I love this recipe. It looks light and super easy!
That skillet was one of the best purchases I’ve made in ages. Absolutely love it!!
Such a good feeling to be back home! 🙂 This is one of my favorite comfort foods too!
It’s totally great to be back in my kitchen!