asparagus parmesan

Asparagus was one of those foods that I couldn't stand growing up. We ate it ALL.THE.TIME. My mom grew up picking asparagus out of the ditches near the farm where she lived. We ate it the same way for every meal. Always steamed with salt and pepper. As the time grew near for me to leave home and go to college, I began to appreciate asparagus. Now, I love it a number of ways, including in soup and wrapped in, what else than bacon. I mostly prefer it steamed with a little salt and pepper, but my second favorite way is sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

1 Tablespoon butter (you can leave this out)

1/4 cup olive oil (I use a little less)

1 pound fresh asparagus spears, trimmed

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (use the real stuff, not from the shaker bottle)

salt and pepper to taste (I usually leave the salt off because there is plenty from the parmesan)

Over medium heat, melt the butter with olive oil over medium heat. Add asparagus and saute for about 10 minutes or until desired firmness. Remove from pan and place on serving dish. Sprinkle with parmesan, salt, and pepper, while still hot.

*If you want to prepare this in the oven, you can spray a pan with Pam, then you line up the asparagus and shake it a bit so all sides are coated with the spray. Then sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Bakes at 450 for 5 minutes. Then sprinkle with paremesan when you pull the pan out of the oven.

**If you want to use the microwave to steam it, place one pound of asparagus in a microwave-safe dish with 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook on high for 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle cheese, salt, and pepper when you remove from the microwave.