Roasted asparagus. Parmesan-panko coating. And a little kick of spice. Oh yes.
These crispy asparagus sticks are not french fry replacements (for that, I already have my yellow and green beans as healthy truffle fries) but trust me, they are also extremely addicting and satisfying. Just imagine: one of the most nutritious veggies out there, coated in cheese and crumbs, crispy, spicy, hot off the oven. They’re tantalizing.
Jessica from How Sweet It Is often has the most mouth-watering recipes and these asparagus sticks are no exception.
I made some modifications to Jessica’s original recipe: I used whole eggs instead of just egg whites, I didn’t use flour (only because I ran out), and I added some cayenne pepper to the coating mixture for a little bit of spice.
Crispy Asparagus Spears
(original recipe from How Sweet It Is)
1 bunch of asparagus (I had about two dozen medium spears)
2 eggs
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. If you have a wire rack, you can lay it on a baking sheet and coat with non-stick spray. If you don’t (I don’t), just cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut off the tough ends of the asparagus. On two separate plates, prepare the eggs (lightly beaten) and the panko, cheese, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper. Coat each asparagus spear in egg, then roll in the panko mixture and thoroughly cover.
Bake at 425 for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
I wasn’t expecting pomme frites but these crispy spears did remind me of french fries. I prepared a sriracha-ketchup dipping sauce, but didn’t really need it because the slightly spicy, very cheesy coating was so flavorful already.
This is a great party snack, TV companion, side dish, or an answer to a I-want-something-crispy-and-salty-and-spicy craving. Try it, you’ll like it :)
Aside from potatoes, what kinds of vegetables do you use for making fries?