Roasted Asparagus with Bread Crumbs and Herbs
Adapted from “The Sprouted Kitchen” by Sara Forte and Hugh Forte (Ten Speed Press). Serves 6 as a side dish.
Ingredients
1¾ cups coarsely chopped bread crumbs, made from day-old bread
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
2½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Grated zest of 2 lemons
¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
3 hard cooked eggs (optional)
2½ pounds asparagus, trimmed
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons lemon pepper
Directions
Arrange a rack in the upper third of your oven and preheat to 400 degrees.
In a bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, mustards, thyme, 1½ tablespoons of the olive oil, and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and bake until toasted, 10 to 12 minutes. (Watch carefully so crumbs don’t burn.) Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely.
When the crumbs are cool, add the lemon zest, parsley and parmesan cheese. Dice the eggs if using and add to the bread crumb mixture.
Turn the oven up to 425 degrees. On a baking sheet, toss the asparagus with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, the garlic and the lemon pepper, adding another generous pinch of salt if needed. Roast in the oven until the asparagus just starts to blister, about 10 minutes, though the time may vary depending on the thickness of the stalks.
Transfer the asparagus to a serving platter and spoon the bread crumb mixture over. Serve warm.
