Olive Garden Parmesan Roasted Asparagus

Olive Garden Parmesan Roasted Asparagus was a recipe that was requested by so many of you that I had to make a special trip out to one of my best-loved restaurants, the Olive Garden. They have a new menu item as part of their lighter fare, and let me tell you; it is delicious.

Homemade Olive Garden Parmesan Roasted Asparagus with balsamic drizzle and cheese sauce on a platter


You may wonder how to cook asparagus. You can prepare asparagus in many different ways. You can enjoy asparagus raw, sauteed, roasted in the oven, or grilled.

Why we like this recipe.

Roasted Asparagus is a discontinued Olive Garden menu item, but it is completely delicious, and grilled asparagus with a creamy Parmesan sauce and a balsamic vinegar glaze really takes your asparagus to a whole new level. Balsamic vinegar glaze is sweet and with the perfect touch with acid. The creamy cheese sauce pairs very well with the flavored of grilled asparagus.

Ingredients for Olive Garden Roasted Asparagus

You will need to roast the asparagus, and then make a creamy Parmesan cheese sauce.

  • Fresh asparagus
  • Vegetable Oil
  • Salt
  • Balsamic Vinegar
  • Parmesan Cheese
  • Heavy Cream
  • Lemon (optional)
  • Tomatoes

Olive Garden Parmesan Roasted Asparagus Ingredients

How to grill asparagus

This copycat Olive Garden recipe has asparagus simply grilled with a little dressing of oil and a sprinkling of salt. I added a squeeze of lemon juice just to bring out the flavor of the asparagus.

  • Prep the fresh spears. Cut off the bottoms of the spears.
  • If the spears are very large, consider using a vegetable peeler on them. By shaving off the outside layer of the asparagus you remove the woody portion of large spears.
  • Drizzle oil over the spears, and toss them around enough to cover them with a thin film of oil. You need to add oil to protect the spears while cooking.
  • Grill spears for a few minutes on each side. Depending how hot your grill is cooking time may very, two to four minutes each side is a good starting point. Cook the asparagus until it begins to blacken, and then rotate.

roasted asparagus on a baking sheet

I then reduce a small amount of balsamic vinegar and make a Parmesan cheese sauce to pair with this. Does it get any better? I don’t think so when it comes to asparagus.

balsamic reduction sauce in a pan

Fresh asparagus buying tips

  • When buying fresh asparagus, I suggest that you look for smaller stalks they tend to be less woody. If your market keeps them on ice even better.
  • I always like to turn over my asparagus and make sure it looks very well hydrated. If the ends look a little dry, you can always snip off the ends and soak the stalks in a bit of water so they will rehydrate.
  • The tips should be full and closed, stay away from spears that are wrinkly, it means they aren’t as fresh and they have begun to lose water and freshness.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. For those of you who are paleo, and gluten-free, I have had given you a recipe you can enjoy as well.

parmesan roasted asparagus, balsamic drizzle, chopped tomatoes, and cheese sauce on a platter

More Asparagus Recipes

Popular Olive Garden Copycat Recipes

Be sure to take a look at more of my easy side dishes and the best copycat restaurant recipes.

Homemade Olive Garden Parmesan Roasted Asparagus with balsamic drizzle and cheese sauce on a platter

Olive Garden Parmesan Roasted Asparagus

Olive Garden Parmesan Roasted Asparagus is an appetizer that is served at the restaurant. You can make this asparagus side dish at home. 
5 from 7 votes
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Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Asparagus
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 258kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 pound fresh asparagus
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese for the sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese for garnish
  • 1 lemon optional
  • 2 teaspoons chopped tomatoes

Instructions

  • Prepare balsamic vinegar reduction by adding 1 cup of balsamic vinegar to a small pot. Heat on high until the mixture boils, then turn down to simmer for 20 minutes. The reduction should yield 1/2 cup of vinegar. Store in an airtight container. 
  • Prepare asparagus by cutting off about 1 inch of the bottom end of the asparagus, lay asparagus on a sheet pan drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast on medium heat on a grill for about 10 minutes turning the asparagus over.
  •  Cooking time with vary with the thickness of the asparagus. Remove asparagus from grill when done. If desired squeeze 1/2 of a lemon over the asparagus. I do not think the Olive Garden does this, but I think it really helps to bring out the flavor of the asparagus. Prepare Parmesan sauce by adding heavy cream and 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese in a small pot or skillet. 
  • Simmer on low for about 10 - 12 minutes. The cream should reduce by 20% in volume. To prepare plate some of the cooked asparaguses on a plate, drizzle balsamic vinegar on top. Garnish with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, and then serve with the sauce. Garnish with fresh chopped tomatoes if desired.

Notes

  • If you can only find large asparagus, you can peel the stalk with a vegetable peeler, this will peel away the tough part of the asparagus!

Nutrition

Calories: 258kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 672mg | Potassium: 322mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1315IU | Vitamin C: 6.6mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 2.9mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tex

    5 stars
    I love roasted asparagus. instead of cheese, I prefer to add a few pieces of ham on top and a few drops of olive oil. but this way of preparing it is also delicious.

  2. robinincanada

    5 stars
    This looks nummy. Fortunately tomorrow is Market Day :D. Looks like I know what part of tomorrow’s supper will be, lol.

  3. MzRareBreed_xo

    Has anyone tried making this? I wanna know if it taste like the Olive Garden’s Parmesan asparagus & what tweaks people have made to make it just as tasty?

    • stephaniemanley

      I tried to make this the best that I could to taste just like it did in the restaurant. I hope you give the recipe a try.

  4. Aimee Gaskins

    The parmesan sauce in the picture appears to have something added other than the cheese and cream? Is the pictured sauce of the one in recipe?

  5. kalynskitchen

    Hi Stephanie, I’m featuring this recipe but I think you might have one too many Roasteds in the recipe title? Just wondering, feel free to delete this after you read it.

    • stephaniemanley

      Thanks 😉 I’ll take care of this. That’s what I get for writing posts as soon as I roll out of bed in the morning!

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