Grilled asparagus with olive oil, lemon & parmesan

There are many different types of asparagus available these days – thick ones, thin ones, baby, green, wild, white and even absolutely huge ones! Apart from their visual appeal, the real difference between them is their taste. 

They range from firm and nutty to soft and silky. Here's one of my favourite ways of cooking asparagus to serve as a side dish or starter.

Ingredients

2 big handfuls asparagus, about 800g

1 squeeze lemon juice

olive oil

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 block Parmesan, for grating

Method

You will need to wash 2 big handfuls or 800g of whichever kind of asparagus you're using, with their woody ends snipped off.

This is a great combination. Parmesan, olive oil and lemon are wonderful with asparagus. Heat a large griddle pan and dry-griddle the asparagus spears on both sides until nicely marked. As soon as they're ready, put them on to four plates and dress with a good squeeze of lemon juice and three times as much olive oil. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, then take a block of Parmesan to the table and either grate or shave some over the asparagus wtih a speed peeler.

Nutritional Information - Amount per serving:

Calories170kcal

Carbs4.2g

Sugar3.9g

Fat12.3g

Saturates2.9g

Protein8.5g

by Jamie Oliver