Name: Grilled Asparagus with Lemon and Parmesan
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 6 min
Total time: 16 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Australian
Ingredients: 2 bunches asparagus (about 500g), woody ends trimmed; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper; 1 lemon, half juiced and half cut into wedges; 40g parmesan, shaved; 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds (optional)

Recipe

Grilled Asparagus with Lemon and Parmesan

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 6 min
Total: 16 min
Serves: 4

Ingredients

4 Servings

2 bunches asparagus (about 500g), woody ends trimmed
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
1 lemon, half juiced and half cut into wedges
1½ oz parmesan, shaved
2 tbsp toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds (optional)

Method

Step 1: Preheat a barbecue grill plate or griddle pan over high heat until properly hot, this takes a few minutes longer than it feels like it should.
Step 2: Toss the asparagus in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper until evenly coated.
Step 3: Lay the spears across the grill, perpendicular to the bars if using a barbecue, so they don't fall through. Cook for 4-6 minutes, turning once or twice, until charred in spots and just tender when pierced with a knife.
Tip: Thin spears cook faster than thick ones, start checking at the 4-minute mark and pull them off as soon as they're tender, overcooked asparagus turns limp and loses its colour.
Step 4: Transfer to a serving platter and squeeze over the lemon juice while still hot.
Step 5: Scatter with the shaved parmesan and toasted nuts, if using, and serve with the remaining lemon wedges.

Tips

Sort the asparagus by thickness before grilling and cook the thinner spears for a minute or two less, a mixed bunch cooks unevenly if treated as one batch.
Shave the parmesan with a vegetable peeler rather than grating it, the thin curls melt slightly into the warm asparagus instead of sitting on top as powder.
If your asparagus spears are very thick, a quick 1-minute blanch in boiling water before grilling stops the outside charring before the inside is properly cooked.

Variations

Vegan: skip the parmesan or use a vegan hard cheese alternative, the nuts still add richness and crunch on their own.
Gluten-free: this recipe is naturally gluten-free as written.
Chilli version: scatter with a pinch of chilli flakes along with the parmesan for a bit of heat against the sweetness of the charred asparagus.

Storage and make-ahead

Best eaten straight away while the parmesan is still a little melted. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 2 days and are good served cold or at room temperature tossed through a salad.