Brown Butter Parmesan Asparagus

Asparagus has become one of my favorite vegetables in recent years. These tender green stalks are versatile and can be used with pastas, roasted on sheet pans or blanched and served with large amounts of hollandaise sauce. This recipe for Brown Butter Parmesan Asparagus is one of my favorites. Easy, delicious and quick to whip up as a side for dinner!

Fresh asparagus is cooked in a savory brown butter sauce and topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese for the ultimate side dish!

Jump to:

• What is Asparagus?
• How to make browned butter
• How to trim asparagus
• Why does asparagus make your pee smell?
• What to serve with asparagus
• Ingredients Needed
• Equipment Needed
• Storage Tips
• Brown Butter Parmesan Asparagus
• About Michelle

What is Asparagus?

Asparagus are a type of green vegetable that is common in the springtime, though international growers make it so that this veggie is available all year long. Because of the limited harvesting time, asparagus is usually a bit pricier than other vegetables. Asparagus is actually the tender shoot of a perennial plant that when fully grown, is fernlike.

How to make browned butter

Browning butter is among the simplest ways to elevate a dish, make a banging sauce, and add a distinct nutty flavor. Making browned butter for Brown Butter Parmesan Asparagus is simple, although it's a method that does require you to watch the pan the entire time otherwise you could risk burning the butter and ruining the batch. The line between perfect golden browned butter and burnt browned butter is slim.

To make, heat a skillet on medium heat and place butter in the skillet. The butter will melt and then begin to separate. Do not stir the butter as you want the milk solids to sink and brown. The butter will bubble and become frothy as the water cooked out of it. You'll begin to see the bottom of the pan turning golden brown. At this point remove the pan from heat, scrape up all of the browned bits and pour off the browned butter into either a container or into your dish.

How to trim asparagus

Because asparagus is a shoot of a plant, it is tender when young but hardens as it grows. The root end of asparagus is denser and more fibrous. Because of this, it is trimmed before cooking. To trim asparagus you can either trim off the bottom half inch of each stalk with a knife or snap the stalk. Because there is a difference in hardness, the stalk will snap where it would need to be trimmed.

Why does asparagus make your pee smell?

Yes this is a gross thing to think about, but aren't we all thinking it? Asparagus does make urine smell and that's due to an acid naturally found in asparagus. Unfortunately there's no way of cooking this acid out of the vegetable. So the smell comes as a side effect to eating an awesome veggie.

What to serve with asparagus

I love serving asparagus with beef (though it can be served with any protein). Some of my favorite recipes include Flank Steak with Pan Gravy, Steak Diane, and New York Strip with Red Wine Sauce.

Ingredients Needed

• 4 Tbsp Butter
• ½ Pound Fresh Asparagus 
• 3 Cloves Garlic 
• Salt
• Pepper
• ¼ Cup Parmesan Cheese 

Equipment Needed

• Large Skillet
• Wooden Spoon
• Chef's Knife
• Cutting Board

Storage Tips

Fridge: Place asparagus in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, warm in the microwave until heated through.

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