Asparagus Baked in Foil with Parmesan and Thyme
By Morgan BollingPublished on February 13, 2020
Time
50 minutes
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
2 pounds (½-inch-thick) asparagus, trimmed4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces1 shallot, minced2 garlic cloves, minced1 ½ teaspoons table salt 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 teaspoon juice½ teaspoon pepper 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Before You Begin
Look for asparagus spears that are about ½ inch thick at the base.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with 16 by 12-inch sheet of aluminum foil.
- Arrange asparagus in center of foil with spears running parallel to short side of sheet, leaving 1½-inch border between bottom of spears and edge of foil. Sprinkle butter, shallot, garlic, salt, lemon zest, and pepper evenly over asparagus.
- Place second 16 by 12-inch sheet of foil over asparagus. Starting with 1 edge, pinch sheets together and fold foil in toward center by ½ inch. Repeat folding 1 or 2 times to create tight seal. Continue folding remaining 3 edges of foil to create sealed packet.
- Transfer sheet to oven and cook for 18 minutes. Remove sheet from oven and let asparagus continue to steam in unopened packet 5 minutes longer (if using slightly thicker or thinner asparagus, increase or decrease this resting time by 2 minutes).
- Using scissors or paring knife, carefully cut open top of packet, allowing steam to escape away from you. Sprinkle asparagus with thyme and lemon juice. Toss gently with tongs to combine. Using tongs, transfer asparagus to serving platter, then pour sauce from packet over top, sprinkle with Parmesan, and serve. (Alternatively, sprinkle with Parmesan and serve directly from packet.)
Time
50 minutesYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
2 pounds (½-inch-thick) asparagus, trimmed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ teaspoons table salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 teaspoon juice
½ teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
2 pounds (½-inch-thick) asparagus, trimmed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ teaspoons table salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 teaspoon juice
½ teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
2 pounds (½-inch-thick) asparagus, trimmed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ teaspoons table salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 teaspoon juice
½ teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Asparagus roasted in an aluminum foil pouch cooks in steam created by its own juices and emerges from the packet tasting clean and deeply of itself. What's more, this method makes cleanup a breeze. We found that baking the packet in a 400-degree oven for 18 minutes was ideal for getting snappy yet tender, bright green stalks. Letting the packet rest undisturbed for 5 minutes out of the oven provided a gentle finish that ensured all the spears were cooked through. Some shredded Parmesan and chopped fresh thyme made this spring side extra-vibrant.
Before You Begin
Look for asparagus spears that are about ½ inch thick at the base.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with 16 by 12-inch sheet of aluminum foil.
- Arrange asparagus in center of foil with spears running parallel to short side of sheet, leaving 1½-inch border between bottom of spears and edge of foil. Sprinkle butter, shallot, garlic, salt, lemon zest, and pepper evenly over asparagus.
- Place second 16 by 12-inch sheet of foil over asparagus. Starting with 1 edge, pinch sheets together and fold foil in toward center by ½ inch. Repeat folding 1 or 2 times to create tight seal. Continue folding remaining 3 edges of foil to create sealed packet.
- Transfer sheet to oven and cook for 18 minutes. Remove sheet from oven and let asparagus continue to steam in unopened packet 5 minutes longer (if using slightly thicker or thinner asparagus, increase or decrease this resting time by 2 minutes).
- Using scissors or paring knife, carefully cut open top of packet, allowing steam to escape away from you. Sprinkle asparagus with thyme and lemon juice. Toss gently with tongs to combine. Using tongs, transfer asparagus to serving platter, then pour sauce from packet over top, sprinkle with Parmesan, and serve. (Alternatively, sprinkle with Parmesan and serve directly from packet.)
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