Oven-baked asparagus with Parmesan and herb crust

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 kg asparagus
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 5 stalks of tarragon
• 5 sprigs of parsley
• salt and pepper
• 1 organic lemon(s), zest
• 80 g butter
• 50 g breadcrumbs
• 25 g Parmesan, grated

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 50 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes

Preheat the oven to 200°C (top/bottom heat). Peel the asparagus and place them side by side in a baking dish. Drizzle with oil and lightly salt. Cover the baking dish with a lid or place a piece of aluminum foil over the asparagus. Steam the asparagus on the middle rack of the oven for 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the thickness of the stalks. Wash the lemon with hot water, dry thoroughly, and finely grate the zest. Chop the tarragon and parsley. Knead the butter with the lemon zest and herbs. Mix in the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Remove the asparagus from the oven and remove the lid. Increase the oven temperature to 240°C (top/bottom heat). Crumble the butter mixture over the asparagus and bake on the middle rack of the oven for about 5 minutes until golden brown.