foolproofliving

1 Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
2 Rinse the asparagus spears under cold running water. Transfer them onto a clean kitchen towel and dry as much as possible.
3 Snap off the wooden ends (1-2 inches from the bottom) with your fingers. It should naturally break off. Alternatively, to make it quicker, you can gather them all together and cut the ends at the same time using a knife. Discard the trims or save for making stock later.
4 Place the asparagus spears on the prepared sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle them with minced garlic, and salt and pepper. Toss until they are coated with the oil and seasoning. Ensure that they are all in one layer in the pan.
5 If using, sprinkle them with grated parmesan cheese.
6 Bake for 12-14 minutes for thick asparagus spears and 8-10 minutes for thin asparagus or until a pairing knife (or a fork) inserted at the base of the largest spear meets little resistance.
7 Transfer onto a large serving plate. If preferred, drizzle with lemon juice.
8 Serve while they are still warm.