This Caprese Roasted Asparagus takes tender roasted asparagus, topped with gooey melted mozzarella cheese and blistered cherry tomatoes and turns them into the perfect side dish. Add a drizzle of balsamic reduction and you have an easy side for weeknights, that’s elegant enough for special occasions.

Jump to:

• ❤️ Why You'll Love This Caprese Asparagus Recipe
• 🛒 Ingredients for Caprese Asparagus
• 🔪 How to Make Caprese Roasted Asparagus
• 💡 Tips
• ☑️ Storage Instructions
• 🍴 What to Serve Caprese Asparagus With
• 🔄 Substitutions and Additions
• What are common mistakes when roasting asparagus?
• Should asparagus be washed before roasting?
• What temperature do you roast asparagus at?
• 🍽️ More Healthy Sides

❤️ Why You'll Love This Caprese Asparagus Recipe

• Tender fresh asparagus
• Sweet and juicy cherry tomatoes
• Roasted with melted mozzarella cheese
• Topped with a drizzle of balsamic reduction
• Easy enough for weeknights, elegant enough for special dinners

What I love about this side dish, is that it has an Italian flair, possibly because I’m Italian or maybe just because it’s just plain delicious! But it’s also incredibly easy to make and takes something simple like asparagus, and transforms it into such a special side, with very little effort.

Now you could easily just steam or roast asparagus and call it good, but with the addition of a few extra ingredients, it becomes something you could serve at a fancy dinner or during the holidays.

The combination of flavors is incredible, yet so simple, much like my Burrata Caprese, Caprese Stuffed Portobellos and Chopped Caprese Salad.

🛒 Ingredients for Caprese Asparagus

• Asparagus
• Mozzarella cheese
• Cherry tomatoes
• Fresh basil or parsley
• Balsamic Reduction
• Olive oil
• Dried oregano
• Garlic salt
• Black pepper

*Exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.

🥣 Recommended Tools

• Baking sheet

🔪 How to Make Caprese Roasted Asparagus

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Wash, try and trim the woody ends on your asparagus.

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Add the asparagus to a baking sheet, along with the tomatoes.  Drizzle the olive oil, garlic salt, dried oregano and black pepper over the tops, then toss to coat.

Add the shredded mozzarella cheese over the center of the asparagus.

Bake for 12-14 minutes, depending on how thick your asparagus is. Remove from the oven and add the tomatoes over the melted mozzarella cheese.

Top with the chopped basil or parsley and a drizzle of the balsamic reduction and serve.

💡 Tips

• If your asparagus is on the thinner side, check on it at the 10 minute mark to see if it’s done. If not, continue roasting until it’s slightly tender.
• If your tomatoes are larger than cherry tomatoes, you can slice them in half, otherwise they might not get blistered.
• As long as your baking sheet is well oiled, there’s no need to use parchment paper or aluminum foil, since the asparagus and tomatoes should have no problem with sticking to your pan.
• If your asparagus is cooked before your tomatoes, or vice versa, you can always remove whichever is cooked through and continue cooking the rest until it’s done.  Then put the dish together and serve.

☑️ Storage Instructions

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for several days.

🍴 What to Serve Caprese Asparagus With

There are many different options for main dishes to serve this asparagus with. If you'd like to stick with the Italian theme, which is what I prefer, these are some good choices:

• Pork Milanese
• Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
• Italian Sausage and Peppers Cabbage Skillet
• Pork Marsala
• Eggplant Lasagna

🔄 Substitutions and Additions

• If you don’t have cherry tomatoes, you can use grape or plum tomatoes, just be sure to cut them into smaller pieces so they will be ready at the same time as your asparagus.
• For a little extra color, which is what I love to do sometimes, is instead of using all red tomatoes, use a combination of colors, like red, yellow, orange, etc.  Most grocery stores sell these when they are in season and they’re really beautiful.
• If you don’t have time to make your own balsamic reduction, the store bought version will work just as well.
• For a little crunch, sprinkle some toasted pine nuts over the top right before serving.
• If you don’t have fresh parsley or basil, chopped fresh mint will also taste great, though not traditionally Italian in Caprese.
• Fontina cheese will also taste great instead of mozzarella cheese.  Fontina melts beautifully and has an almost nutty flavor that’s absolutely delicious.
• For a little spicy kick, finish off the dish with a dash of red pepper flakes.

What are common mistakes when roasting asparagus?

Not trimming the ends is a common mistake made. The ends are so fibrous and woody, they are hard to chew and not very pleasant.

Should asparagus be washed before roasting?

Absolutely and actually all vegetables should be washed and dried before cooking. When you are roasting in particular, you not only want to wash, but also dry them really well so that the olive oil will stick to the asparagus and roast perfectly.

What temperature do you roast asparagus at?

For this recipe, you'll want to roast it at 400°F, which will give the tomatoes time to roast and mozzarella cheese to melt without burning. For roasting asparagus alone, you can increase the temperature to 425°F or even 450°F.

🍽️ More Healthy Sides

• Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes
• Glazed Carrots
• Garlic Potatoes and Green Beans
• Cheesy Roasted Cauliflower
• Air Fryer Baked Potatoes