This garlic asparagus dish is a Northern Italian side dish. My family loves it! Even the kids!
Try serving this as a side to shrimp scampi for a perfect pairing.
Making this recipe was the first time ever tried asparagus. Now, I can't eat it any way but like this. I serve this with dinner at least twice a week. I don't use fresh garlic, I used jarred cushed or minced garlic (whatever is in the fridge). I use two teaspons (hey - I like garlic). If you do this, add the garlic in at the end of the cooking time as the garlic would burn if you added it in at the beginning as the recipe calls for you to do with fresh garlic cloves.
Read MoreWay too much butter. They were like wet noodles. There's really nothing special about this recipe. I've had better tasting asparagus by just spraying the pan and sprinkling the spears with a little salt.
Read MoreMaking this recipe was the first time ever tried asparagus. Now, I can't eat it any way but like this. I serve this with dinner at least twice a week. I don't use fresh garlic, I used jarred cushed or minced garlic (whatever is in the fridge). I use two teaspons (hey - I like garlic). If you do this, add the garlic in at the end of the cooking time as the garlic would burn if you added it in at the beginning as the recipe calls for you to do with fresh garlic cloves.
I have not eaten asparagus in years, but it was on sale today, so I bought a package and tried this recipe for dinner tonight. After reading the reviews, I made some of the changes that were suggested and it turned out so good that I wish I had made double the amount! First I melted just 2 Tbsp of butter, then added sliced mushrooms and cooked them for a few minutes before adding the asparagus so it wouldn't get overcooked because I like it crisp. Then I drizzled just a little olive oil over the vegetables. I substituted garlic salt for the coarse salt and garlic cloves because so many people said this was too salty and/or the garlic burned. I also used lemon pepper instead of regular black pepper and sprinkled a little lemon juice over the vegetables while they were cooking. After I took them out of the pan, I sprinkled fresh parmesan cheese over them. This was the best asparagus I have ever eaten!
Snaps for Kim! We loved this recipe. Asparagus can be bitter if not prepared properly which could be why so many don't like it. This was so simple and the flavor was terrific. I didn't add the garlic until the last few minutes so it didn't burn and I used 2 Tbls. of butter with 1 Tbls. olive oil for 1 lb. of asparagus. When the color starts to just fade its done. Great recipe.
The only reason this gets 4 stars is because my boyfriend says this was just "ok". I absolutely loved it. (He doesn't care for asparagus.) A tip you can use with asparagus: don't just cut off the end. "Bend" the asparagus until it breaks naturally. Asparagus will break where it is most tender. That way you don't have to mess with the hard and chewy ends. You can also peel the asparagus but I think that's too much work.
When I saw the amount of butter/olive oil this dish called for I was really turned off, so I adjusted the recipe by using l tablespoon of olive oil and butter flavored cooking spray. It was really delicious.
I've never cooked asparagus before, and only eaten it once before so I was not hopeful about it, but I have to say, this was simply delicious. We had Mahi mahi and brown rice with it, and I added some lemon juice to the leftover garlicky butter from the pan as a dipping sauce. Many happy groans of delight. One thing however, I didn't have fresh garlic, so I used garlic powder that first time. I've made it since with the fresh - but honestly there isn't That much difference between the two. Both great. (Powder is easier actually.)
Yum....and that's from someone who has never liked asparagus. I had a bit of a problem fitting it in the frying pan and trying to make sure it cooked evenly. Finally, I just took a knife to the spears and cut each one in half so I could stir them around easier. Next time I will have to drag out my HUMONGOUS frying pan so I can keep the spears whole. I'm not sure what size pan you other folks are using, but I had my hands full....but since I've never cooked asparagus before, it's probably just my lack of expertise. I agree with some other reviews about cutting back on the butter and even the salt (this is coming from a salt lover). You can add more salt at the table if you feel it needs it.
This is absolutely delicious. We are a garlic loving family, and so I doubled up on the garlic cloves and didn't use quite as much butter as called for. The asparagus had a garlic infused taste and stayed crunchy well after it was done cooking. I gave it a hefty dose of salt and served it over rice along with the Firecracker Salmon recipe also found on the site. Will definitely be making again. Thanks a bunch Kim!!
I've been using this recipe for several years now and it's my favorite way of cooking asparagus. I can't give this 5 stars, because I don't think it would be very good as written. It has way too much oil and butter and the garlic is added too soon. The way I make it is to use only about 1 Tbsp. each of the olive oil and butter. I add 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper and a couple pinches of kosher salt. I cook the asparagus in this and add the garlic during the last 1-2 minutes of cooking. If you add the garlic at the beginning, it will get way too brown!
Fabulous!!!!! Added some fresh lemon juice as well as shredded parmesan cheese on top. Wow! Great flavor. Went well with the herb and spice rubbed beef tenderloin that I made. Will make asparagus like this from now on.
Excellent recipe with a few modifications. Just drizzle a little oil and cut the butter in half. I also add my fresh garlic near the end just to get the flavor but not overcook the garlic. I find it amazing how so few ingredients can make something so amazing! Plus it was so easy!
Delicious! Perfect texture - not too soft but not too hard. I to melted 2 tbs of butter and about 1.5 tbs olive oil. Added in the salt and pepper. Sauteed for a minute. Added trimmed asparagus and cooked for about 9 minutes. Added 3 cloves of freshly minced garlic and cooked for another 3 min or so. My husband was in love! So good! Don't know if I will be able to cook asparagus any other way now
Very good, but as other reviewers have stated, the suggested cooking time is too long and your garlic will burn if incorporated at the beginning. On a medium high heat, your asparagus will be ready in about 5 or 6 minutes. I added the minced garlic (from a jar) in the last 2 minutes of cooking.
Halved the oil and butter and it was plenty, decreased the salt to about 3/4 teaspoon also used three very large garlic cloves that I minced and added at the end. So simple and perfect!
These are delicious!! I added some sliced baby bella mushrooms and my husband loved it.
The BEST way to cook asparagus!!!! It has made people who don't normally like asparagus ask for seconds and thirds!
This was wonderful!!! Even my kids ate it (ages 4 and 7) Can't wait to try it again this week with other veggies.
Very good with asparagus or green beans! I little butter and EVOO in the pan. Add your veg and saute for ~5 min at medium high. Lower the heat to low and add your garlic to finish.
Way too much butter. They were like wet noodles. There's really nothing special about this recipe. I've had better tasting asparagus by just spraying the pan and sprinkling the spears with a little salt.
A bunch of comments, as this is my first review of the first recipe I tried on this site. First, despite my mistakes, the recipe turned out QUITE tasty, which is impressive in and of itself. (It was a nice compliment to my BBQ salmon fillet, marinated in lemon juice w/ salt & pepper.) Some tips: - do NOT use canned asparagus as I did -- mine turned out more mushy than crisp/tender. (I ended up only cooking it for 5 minutes, as I suspected it would become soup if I let it go the full 10.) - know your stove/pan; med-high on my electric range was way too much heat, resulting in burnt butter and garlic. I look forward to trying this recipe again w/ fresh ingredients and lower heat. Thanks Kim! :) Finally,
This is our favorite way to fix asparagus, and so easy! I throw 1/2 stick of butter in the pan, a drizzle of olive oil and my garlic. After the butter melts, add the asparagus and let it saute till done, stirring often. I love that the asparagus stays a little crisp instead of overcooking to the mushy stage. I use the McCormick sea salt grinder and don't measure the salt, just season to taste. Also, I cut the asparagus into 2 inch pieces, it's much easier to cook and stir that way. I use lots more asparagus than this recipe calls for.
this recipie was really good. I cut oil and butter in half and only put about 1/8tsp of salt. Next time I think I'll put in even less oil, so its not so greasy.
my new favorite way to cook asparagus! Used twice as much asparagus (guests) but kept to same amount of other ingredients. Dusted w/parm before serving. Everyone who liked asparaguse loved it prepared this way. Also, cut into bite-size pieces before cooking -easy to saute this way. Thanks!
No one likes asparagus you say!? Just try it! 1 to 2 Tbls Butter though, not a quarter cup, that's too much. DELICIOUS!!!
This is one of the best recipes I've run across except one thing . . . way too salty . . .I cut the salt in half and it was heavenly . . . I also used the same sautee mix on red potatoes and it was even better than the asparagus!
We just broil our asparagus with a little olive oil and salt and pepper for 5 minutes and have been doing so for years with great success. It's an Easter favorite.
Really enjoyed this! Simple and easy to have simmering away on the side.
Very good, simple and yummy. I have never eaten my asparagus steamed again, this is the only way for me. I love it, everyone I make this for loves it... Thank You for posting :)
A fast & easy side dish. I modified the recipe using 3 Tbs. each of butter & olive oil, 1/2 tsp. salt & 1/8 tsp. black pepper. The first time I made it, the garlic browned too much by the time the asparagus was cooked so I reduced the heat to medium and only sauteed the garlic for 10-20 seconds the second time before adding the asparagus. The results were much better with those changes.
Good - would have been better if I had measured the salt instead of just sprinkling it in. It was too salty for me.
I have absolutely no argument with the ingredients but the amounts and method are iffy. WAY to much grease. WAY WAY to much grease. I would use no more than 3 tablespoons of grease. 2 of olive and 1 of butter or however else you prefer. If you like your garlic add it about 2 minutes before you remove the asparagus from the heat. Allows for a more intense flavour and supposedly it doesn't cook the healthiness out of the garlic :). I cooked my asparagus for 6 minutes and it was ALMOST over done. As soon as they turn the gorgeous bright green, check it for your desired done-ness....this can be anywhere between 3-8 minutes. I would probably stop at 5. Otherwise, enjoy!
Bake trimmed (broken off the ends) asparagus in heavy pan (cast iron) after sprinklin with olive oil or lemon infused olive oil at 375 degrees. Bake for 18 minutes in pre-heated oven. Stalks will still be crunchy, but done. Size doesn't really matter. Heavenly with lemon infused olive oil. Do same recipe on grill. Break stalks -tough part will be gone, what is left is the best. Easy!
at the garlic at the end, and this will be perfect. It works for most vegetables, especially green beans.
You really don't need to add all of those calories from the fat. We just broil our asparagus with a little olive oil and salt and pepper for 5 minutes and it's amazing!
Excellent! I cut the butter in half and let it cook slowly for about 20 minutes.
I thought the butter seemed too much when I read this, as well as the oil. So I only used a little bit of each as suggested, cut mine into smaller pieces to help cook it more evenly, and it was great. I served mine over some ziti, tomato sauce, and fresh mozzarella. Superb :-)
2 Tbs butter to 1 Tbs olive oil - add garlic in last two minutes or use garlic powder/salt
We love garlic so this was the perfect recipe for us. Very easy & quick to make. Loved it!
This is an exceptional recipe however I think it calls for way too much salt. My asparagus was very salty. I will make this again however I will use 1 teaspoon salt instead of 1 tablespoon.
These are wonderful! I used only enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan and about two tablespoons of butter. I will definitely be serving these proudly to guest.
Great tasting. You can cut butter/oil a bit and it will still turn out really well. Cut the heat as soon as the asparagus is crisp tender or it will get too soggy. Topped with fresh shredded parmesan. Thanks for this Kim.
Our's didn't turn out so well but I can only fault the wording of the recipe. My girlfriend cooked as I was busy with other holiday cooking chores and she hasn't the experience I have. At any rate, my recommendation is to change the second sentence to: Cook garlic in butter for a minute, but do not brown - then remove garlic! There is no way possible to cook this dish on med-high heat without burning the garlic which I suspect is what happened to those who weren't pleased with the result. Somewhat less salt also is recommended but that's my taste (we use salt sparingly usually). Otherwise, it was good and I'm sure even better if cooked correctly.
This was easy and very good. I thought it would be too salty so I only used 1/2 tsp. salt but even that was too much.
Even though I forgot the garlic, this was wonderful! Especially with the Parmesan at the end...yummy! It's a keeper!
Very good. I didn't have garlic, so I subbed garlic powder. Cooked a little longer (4 mins) more because my spears were thick. Good flavor. Will make again. Thanks!
I love asparagus and I love it even more when it's cooked this way! For a little extra zing I like to sprinkle lemon-pepper over it right before I serve it.
Absolutely delicious. Another fabulous way to prepare asparagus. We loved it and this recipe will be a keeper.
Great flavor, but very greasy. I guess your trading flavor for healthy -- unless your on the low carb diet:) I sprinkled alittle parmesan cheese on it before serving. Really good.
This is pretty much the way I make my asparagus now. Rather than leaving it whole, I cut it up and stir-fry it. Thanks for a good basic recipe and clarifications.
This was great! Until now the only way I prepared asparagus was to roast it. Now I have a new way and the picky eaters loved it like this. Thanks.
This would be great with a little parmesan cheese grated over it just before serving.
Delicious! Great way to cook asparagus. I also used it with fresh whole green beans. They are good too. I did cut the salt in half.
Great recipe! My wifes family is from northern italy and this is on spot. If you dont like real italien cooking then you cannot appreciate the true goodness of this dish. My inlaws say lots of garlic and olive oil or your just pretending! Thanks Kim!
This tasted wonderful. I backed off on the garlic a little bit the second time I made it, because it was a little too strong in the first batch.
Excellent!!!!! I've passed the recipe along to friends. We are having it for the 2nd time in a week. This time I'm serving it over angel hair pasta and adding fresh sliced mushrooms.
This is absolutely the best asparagus my boyfriend and I have ever had. Definitely makes you want to eat your vegetables!
With the recommended changes (adding the garlic in the end, primarily so it doesn't burn and I used about a tablespoon of oil and 2 tablespoons of butter for a full pound of asparagus. More than that would have been WAY over the top, for me.) very tasty. Works on a LOT of different types vegetables. Green beans, brussel sprouts, etc. Just adjust the sauteing time for whatever you are throwing in the pan ;)
I forgot the garlic and it was still good. Followed other reviews to heat olive oil then add a little butter with the veggies. When done seasoned w/ s&p.
This was delicious, and I'll make it again, but I wish I'd read Kimmy Rae's review before I made it because it was waaaaaay too much butter. I served it to guests, and was a little unhappy with the big pool of butter in the bottom of the serving dish - I didn't want to drain the oil and butter off and risk losing the flavor, but it wasn't pretty. I'll definitely make it again, but probably with half as much butter.
This was extremely salty! I used kosher salt and I didn't even use all the salt called for! Also, it was a ton of butter and oil. Just grilling or steaming--even boiling it is easier and much tastier.
So good that I even loved it and I rarely eat asparagus. Will make again!!!!
I enjoyed this dish. Take other reviewers' advice and add the garlic toward the end of cooking.
Makes asparagus unhealthy, but extremely delicious. My b/f (who doesn't like asparagus) went crazy over this.
Some of the best asparagus we've had. So easy and no need to add extra butter or sauce. hope to be able to make this again before the asparagus is gone from the stores. I did put a lid on the pan to ensure it steamed through, and only cooked it about 7 minutes.
This was fantastic, quick and easy. I even omitted the butter and it was still wonderful. My husband and I liked it so much I made it two nights in a row.
As written, this recipe has way too much butter. I recommend what another reviewer did: sautee the asparagus in just a bit of butter and then put it on the pan and just drizzle a bit of olive oil over it. Do not use 1/4 cup of butter. That is just excessive. If you reduce the butter way down to about a tablespoon, this will be great.
This asparagus is great - we love the crunchy bits of garlic! This is a standard for Easter for several years now. We try and squeeze it in a couple more times during the spring, we love it so much. The more you "brown" the asparagus, the tastier.
This recipe was part of our Thanksgiving menu. It was enjoyed very much by everyone! Even the kids enjoyed this dish. It is quick and tasty.
I LOVE asparagus and I LOVE this recipe! The coarse salt (I used Margarita salt) really makes this dish unique. I buy asparagus now, just so I can make this side dish!
I fixed this recipe earlier this week and thought it was delicious! I did cut back on the oil and butter. I planned to add about a teaspoon of garlic powder when I put in the salt and pepper. I made a mistake and grabbed the onion powder instead. What a tasty mistake! With the minced garlic I added the last few minutes of cooking all the flavors were wonderful! I will ‘accidentally” put in onion powder from now on. Thanks for the great recipe!
I loved this. I followed the recipe pretty much exactly except I squeezed a little lemon juice on right before serving. It was delicious. Even my 3 little boys loved it!
I really loved this. I grew up with my family growing asparagus. My husband is not a real fan of it but loved this and he ate most of the pan! As other reviewers suggested, I cut the butter and oil in half. I waited until the end to add the garlic. In addition, I sprinkled some lemon juice over the asparagus. YUM!!!!
Pretty darn good! However, I did change it! I skipped the butter altogether and just used a drizzle of olive oil! Then at the end, when I take the pan off the heat, I add a little fresh Parmesan Cheese mix it around in the warm pan. YUM!
The first time I made this I followed the recipe exectly and my asparagus was way too oily. I only use 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon of EVOO and it turns out much better!
OMGOSH!! Fabulous and FLAVORFUL! Here's my take on this recipe. I kept ALL ingredient amounts the same (including the butter) BUT BUT...BUT I DOUBLED the asparagus amount. I cut the spears into 3rds on the diagonal for easier turning. I took a few readers advice and I only fried it for approx 4 min. I had really fat asparagus so if you have thin delicate stalks reduce that time. After frying for the 4 min I pulled the pan off the burner, covered it and let cool sitting on the stove. It was PERFECTLY crisp tender It's even great cold! Thanks to the readers who suggested the shorter frying time, and letting it sweat to crisp tender under cover. I think it's the key to success with this recipe. Can't WAIT to whip this dish on company with some BBQ steak, and French bread!
This recipe was excellent. The asparagus was full of flavor and my husband loved it. I doubled the amount of garlic and cut the asparagus into smaller pieces. I had to saute it for about 20 minutes to get it tender. It was delicious!
We love this recipe!! We make a "boat" out of foil & combine the ingredients and cook it on the grill. It is so easy to prepare and tastes great cooked on the stove or grill!! I made it for several cookouts & everyone wanted the recipe!
What a disaster! I'm sure this recipe would have been good....but my husband sauteed the garlic first, then added the asparagus. The garlic burned before the asparagus was fully cooked, so we pulled it off the stove. We ended up with undercooked asparagus that tasted like burnt garlic! Ew!
I use a whole head of garlic (we love garlic) and sautee with sliced shallots. For those who have never cooked asparagus before, use a fork to pierce it and check for doneness It should be tender, but firm. Also, thin asparagus cooks much quicker than the thicker spears.
This was a bit disappointing. I added lemon pepper at the end, which jazzed it up a bit, but otherwise, they were too oily and there wasn't enough flavor.
