My Roasted Asparagus and Grape Tomatoes is a simple and elegant side dish that's packed with nutrition. It's equally suitable to serve to guests at a dinner party or to your family on busy weeknights.
If you're looking for a quick and easy side dish that's delicious and packed with nutrition, then you must try my Roasted Asparagus and Grape Tomatoes. It's a simple and elegant low calorie dish that is the perfect accompaniment to steak, seafood or chicken.
It's nice enough to serve to company but also easy enough to make on busy weeknights. And your kids will love it too because I top the the dish off with a bit of salty cheese and sweet balsamic reduction!
I like to serve this dish when I'm cooking a romantic dinner at home like on Valentine's Day, because it's very pretty and the roasted grape tomatoes resemble little hearts.
Jump to:
Asparagus is a superfood
This is a nutritious dish and provides a good amount of fiber, protein, and several vitamins and minerals. Asparagus is a real superfood! It's packed with many health-promoting ingredients including powerful antioxidants, which help prevent chronic disease. To learn more about the health benefits of asparagus and how to cook it, check out my post all about asparagus.
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make this dish:
- Asparagus- you can use any type of asparagus (see FAQs below)
- Grape tomatoes- you can use grape or cherry tomatoes
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Balsamic glaze- this is reduced balsamic vinegar and is syrupy, sweet and delicious. You can find it in grocery stores sold as balsamic glaze or balsamic reduction. You can substitute a thick, good quality balsamic vinegar or make a balsamic reduction yourself (see FAQs below)
- Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese- grated cheese adds a nice salty bite. Splurge and buy fresh cheese instead of the pre-grated stuff. You'll definitely taste the difference.
How to make this dish
Wash and trim the asparagus. Place the asparagus on a sheet pan with the tomatoes and toss them with olive oil. Season them with salt and pepper.
Roast in the oven until the asparagus is crisp tender and the tomatoes are soft. Arrange the vegetables on a platter. Top with freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. Devour!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can! Asparagus comes out great in the air fryer and cooks very quickly. If using the air fryer, I would recommend cooking the asparagus first and then cooking the tomatoes afterwards. This way you're not overcrowding the basket. Also, the tomatoes will release some juices as they cook so cooking them separately will help prevent the asparagus from getting soggy. Try my Perfect Air Fryer Asparagus recipe.
You can use any type of asparagus in this dish. It comes in several different varieties including green, white and purple. Green is the most common variety. White has a slightly milder flavor but all types can be used interchangeably. Asparagus also comes in thick spears and thinner spears. You can use either but keep in mind that thick spears will take longer to cook.
You need to trim the hard ends before cooking asparagus. Asparagus has a built-in natural breaking point. Just hold a spear up, bend it with your hands, and it will break where you need it to. You may need to peel thick stalks with a vegetable peeler if they are particularly tough.
You are probably overcooking it. You want to cook asparagus until it is tender but still crisp, not limp. Thin stalks of asparagus cook faster than thick stalks.
Yes! You can make a balsamic reduction by simmering regular balsamic vinegar in a pot on the stove for several minutes to thicken it. It's done when it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Asparagus is delicious with a simple sprinkling of salt and pepper. You can also try topping it with lemon juice, lemon zest or toasted breadcrumbs.
This is an excellent side dish to enjoy with steak or seafood like salmon. Check out my Filet Mignon with Pomegranate Dijon Sauce or my Spice-Rubbed Grilled Salmon.
More Delicious Asparagus Recipes
Looking for some more tasty recipes using asparagus? Try these:
- Perfect Air Fryer Asparagus
- Spring Vegetable Spaghetti Carbonara
- Lemon Risotto with Peas and Asparagus
- Sheet Pan Sweet Chili Salmon and Veggies
- Green Spring Vegetable Soup
- Mini Spring Vegetable Quiches
Recipe
Roasted Asparagus and Grape Tomatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 bunch asparagus spears, ends trimmed
- 1 pint grape tomatoes
- 4 teaspoons olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Place the asparagus and tomatoes on a sheet pan and toss them with the olive oil. Season them with salt and pepper.
- Roast the vegetables in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the tomatoes are softened and the asparagus is crisp tender. Arrange the vegetables on a platter. Drizzle the balsamic glaze on top and sprinkle with grated cheese. Serve.
url says
This is a simple recipe and we love asparagus. I do have all the ingredients.
I will definitely try it.
Thanks Sonali
sonaliruder says
Thank you for your comment! I hope you love it!