Author: Thomas Sixt is a chef, food photographer, cookbook author and blogger. Here he shares recipes, answers cooking questions and helps with cooking.
Peel and prepare the asparagus as described in the article.
Preheat the oven at 190°C top/bottom heat.
Preparation step 2 Asparagus in aluminum foil, seasoned and with pieces of butter.
Prepare foil
Prepare two lengths of aluminum foil about 40 cm long.
Place 10 peeled asparagus spears in the center of the matt side of the aluminum foil.
Alternatively, use a roasting pan instead of the foil.
Preparation step 3 The asparagus sticks in the aluminum foil with the ingredients.
Prepare asparagus
Season the asparagus with salt, pepper, some sugar and nutmeg.
Add the butter to the asparagus and fold up the aluminum foil.
Optionally pour in the white wine and seal the asparagus packets tightly.
Place the prepared asparagus in aluminum foil on a baking sheet and place in the preheated oven.
Set the kitchen timer for 30 minutes.
Try asparagus from a packet, increasing the cooking time as needed.
Preparation step 4 Cooked asparagus in aluminum foil, cooked in the oven.
Serve asparagus
Take the asparagus packets out of the oven and place on plates.
Open the aluminum foil.
Serve the asparagus with cress or chives and sprinkle with parmesan.
Asparagus cooking time:
In the recipe picture you can see relatively thin asparagus spears in the picture. The cooking time depends on the thickness of the asparagus spears and the power of the oven.
—> Frequent opening of the oven increases the cooking time!
—> Thicker asparagus spears need longer, recommended time 40 minutes in a preheated oven!
-> Thank God asparagus is not DIN standardized, so it is impossible to specify an exact cooking time. Please open a packet and taste the asparagus. If necessary, increase the cooking time.
About the asparagus recipe:
I first saw the way it was prepared by Hans Haas in Tantris.
I’ll show you the variant of asparagus in its own juice, in aluminum foil, in the recipe.
For both variants, you do not have to pre-cook the asparagus.
This saves working time and energy…
I like the preparation of the asparagus in the aluminum foil, it’s practical and sure to succeed.
If you pay attention to the environmental aspect, you can also use a lockable roaster with a lid!
Now seal the asparagus in the aluminum foil and cook the asparagus packets in the oven at 190 °C top/bottom heat for 25-30 minutes.
Side dishes asparagus in the oven
As an accompaniment to the asparagus in the oven, I recommend:
–> Boiled potatoes or peeled and boiled potatoes –> Oven potatoes (cut into quarters and cook in the oven with the asparagus!) –> Baguette or gluten-free bread (ideal for dipping the asparagus juice/asparagus butter!)
When it comes to sauces, I recommend the matching Hollandaise sauce first.
I prefer to serve the asparagus from the oven cooked in the aluminum foil, preferably with fresh and finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino.
In addition, the asparagus dish with cress or sprinkled with chives tastes really good.
Asparagus grilled in the oven – that tastes delicious!
5. More Ideas for Cooking During the Asparagus Season
Below you can write to me directly. Please don’t forget the star rating on the recipe, 5 stars means you liked it!
Very tasty the asparagus from the oven. I live alone and eat max. 4 stalks of class 1 asparagus (slightly thicker). According to grandma's recipe, in water with salt, sugar and butter, the asparagus was always limp and tasteless. But now the asparagus still has a bite after 30 minutes and tastes so great with the light white wine note. Today, on Easter Sunday, there were lamb salmon with asparagus from the oven. Happy Easter !!!
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Hello Klaus, thank you for your nice feedback and your praise. Yes, there is a lot to discuss when cooking asparagus . Cooking tip steaming asparagus: – I have already steamed asparagus twice this year. – I cut the peeled asparagus spears into smaller pieces. – Season with olive oil, salt, pepper and sugar –> I'll do it in the pan right away. – Then heat with the lid on until the lid is warm to very warm. – Turn off the plate and let it steep for 15 minutes –> Eat asparagus quickly and deliciously 🙂 I wish you continued success. Greetings Thomas
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Terrific! We have never eaten such delicious asparagus!
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Thank you very much for the positive feedback, please contact us with cooking questions and kitchen gossip! Kind regards, Thomas Sixt
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Hello Thomas, I made your recipe four times this year during the asparagus season and it was always delicious. If there were thicker poles, I just halved them lengthwise. Aluminum foil, baking paper or roasting pan, the asparagus always tastes delicious. Thanks for the guide and tips. My favorite variant is with fine chive rolls. This is stunningly good with the butter and the stock. The discussion here is exciting, I think it's very good how you take a stand and answer the questions. All in all, the critics could write more kindly, we seem to have a social problem here. Critical discussion is good, the tone makes the music. Please continue! Greetings from the Schneiders 🙂
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Hello Schneiders family, Thank you for the detailed feedback from your kitchen. You seem to be real asparagus fans 🙂 I'm happy when the preparation goes down well and we do it here more often. Maybe Hans Haas will read along and be happy too. To expand the culinary ideas, I would like to recommend nut butter instead of "normal" butter. That would be a nice and nice change! Prepare the nut butter: Place the butter in a saucepan, simmer for 10 minutes, then allow to brown slightly over a slightly higher heat. Pass through a fine stainless steel sieve and leave to cool. Depending on the degree of browning, the butter tastes slightly or strongly nutty and that goes very well with the asparagus. For discussion: Thanks for the positive feedback on this. I am free to delete or reply to comments. Do it with pleasure, maybe it is a learning process for some contemporaries. A user once apologized after 10 years for a "below the belt comment" on YouTube, there is still hope for improvement. Send greetings and look forward to it! LG Thomas Sixt
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aluminum foil ! Marc and others are right. Unfortunately, that's not a star if you also recommend the matte side. What a myth. The statement that the matt side should be more suitable is simply absolute nonsense and lacks any scientific or chemical basis. Maybe learned at the university "mom". It's just a production result. The shiny side comes into contact with the polished, smooth rollers during manufacture, the matte side does not. That's all. It's fair to say that the shiny side reflects the heat a little better, but that's also… that's all. Basically, food should no longer come into contact with aluminum foil, if at all. Your subsequent recommendation of parchment paper in the comments makes sense … if only for health, degradation and general environmental reasons. (I don't even want to talk about the working conditions in bauxite mining) So please … no aluminum. best regards
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Hello Gon, I think the topic has been sufficiently discussed. Your tone is a little too sharp, maybe you should avoid chili in the coming days and prefer to drink a herbal tea. The origin of the recipe has already been sufficiently described and is as far away from Mama University as China is from Vienna. Cooks and master chefs learn to use the matte side as the food side. There's a reason for that. Incidentally, I have not had any problems with the preparation with the matt side of the aluminum foil – the shiny side, on the other hand, causes problems. I would be happy if you wrote a little more kindly next time. This is not a beer tent but a nice place to exchange ideas with the opportunity to get tips from a chef directly. You could appreciate that accordingly. —-> Alternative to aluminum foil also mentioned. —-> Don't get excited and rather peel the asparagus Greetings Thomas
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Hello Thomas, I had already cooked your recipe last year and was completely enthusiastic…. unfortunately I forgot to tell you that 🙂 Tomorrow there should be asparagus out of the oven again, and I'm glad your recipe to have found it again, …. there are so many of them now, but I don't want to try them out, if something is good and tasty I don't have to change anything. unfortunately only 5 stars … I'm not allowed to give more LG Sabine
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Hello Sabine, your message made me very happy! Every year again… Nice and your comment has now made it. Thank you for the stars! Thomas sends you best wishes and continued success
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Hello Thomas I cooked asparagus in the oven for the first time today according to your recipe. So delicious, never different again. Other recipes from you are already on my tudou list.
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Hello Gisela, I'm glad! Kind regards Thomas
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Better than boiled asparagus…delicious☺ Bettina Mangelsen
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Hello Bettina, thanks for your nice line. That makes me very happy! I wish you continued success! Greetings Thomas
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Excellent! Had the asparagus prepared today exactly according to your instructions. It was crazy fun because the steps are explained very well. The whining about the bad bad aluminum foil is incomprehensible to me. Worked perfectly and tasted great, wdh. is 100% time to write thank you. greetings from irmi
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Hello Irmi, I'm happy about your successful asparagus meal and I wish you continued success! LG Thomas
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Unfortunately my asparagus wasn't soft at all after half an hour. They were quite thin stalks and well peeled. Ultimately, I needed almost twice the time and higher temperature – a shame
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Hello Lisa, this is mostly due to the oven. Now that you know the time, you can adjust accordingly. If you want to go faster, halve the poles lengthwise! Addendum 05/12/2021 In the tips you can now find more information about the cooking time! Kind regards and continued success Thomas
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Hello Thomas, great site – I've been making the asparagus according to Hans for years, it couldn't be better. And I can't understand the aluminum discussion. I found the following compromise: aluminum foil the same size as the baking paper on the table, baking paper on the foil, asparagus on baking paper, all the other ingredients – bring both foils together and close. The asparagus doesn't cook so well with only baking paper, because I can't manage to seal the baking paper perfectly, no steam should escape. By the way, I always put halved potatoes in the package, so I can have both ready in one go. Happy May 1st, kind regards Kelie
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Hello Kelie, thank you for your positive message. Baking paper idea: My wife always wonders why the staple gun has disappeared from the office. Usually happens during the asparagus season 🙂 I fold the baking paper and then staple several times. Tacka di Tacka there – the package is holding up well. Do you also have problems with the cooking time? I would like to check again because many are writing right now that there is not enough time. Please write me I'm happy! Kind regards Thomas
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Very tasty recipe! However, one question worries me a lot: Why is it important to you to have the matte side of the film on the inside? Since the shiny side a not only reflects light but of course also heat radiation, I always prefer to keep the heat on the food. Are you obviously looking at other criteria?
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Hello Peter, the matt side is the food-safe side of the aluminum foil. Kind regards Thomas
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Really great instructions, anyone who criticizes the use of aluminum foil 3 times a year by the chefs mentioned here should wrap the foil around their heads and ask our Father for improvement with 10. Delicious asparagus dish Thank you!
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Hello Josef, Thank you for your enjoyable message. Maybe praying will actually help. Alternatively, you can use a roaster with a lid, as written in the article 🙂 — Have a look at Weißwurst , the comments are also very enjoyable! Lovely wishes
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Hello Thomas and Max, I followed the discussion about the aluminum foil and I like the honesty. I think cooking with aluminum foil every now and then can't be harmful. Thanks for the tips and the ideas and the exchange. Greetings Katja
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Hello Katja, thank you for your contribution. Nevertheless, I agree with Max. It is better to use aluminum foil less often, it protects the environment and the palate. Kind regards, Thomas Sixt
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Hello Thomas, unfortunately I have to disagree with what you said about aluminum foil. And if generations of top chefs have already done it this way – I did, by the way, for a long time – then they have been doing it wrong for generations. You don't need to refer to "we've always done it that way and that's why it has to be right". It has been proven that when aluminum foil comes into contact with food that contains salt or acid (both of which apply here), it migrates into the food. The consequences, especially in children, are not without. Aluminum can affect the nervous system and fertility. Unfortunately, you are also wrong about the statement about the smooth and matt side – the fairy tale that the smooth side is treated, varnished etc. and is therefore harmless will probably never die out. The smooth and matte side just have different physical properties when it comes to heat reflection. The fact that the foil has two different sides is only due to the production process. In the last rolling process, two foils are placed on top of each other and the respective outer surface is pressed by the smooth rollers and is therefore smooth, the inner side remains matt. So my tip: Please use baking paper instead of aluminum foil. This works just as well and is harmless to health. Otherwise, a great recipe that I already knew but can heartily recommend. Thank you and all the best. Best regards
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Hello Max, thank you for your detailed message. I am familiar with the statements on aluminum foil, which is of course interesting to me to what extent there are new and measurable findings. It is probably important at the moment that the matt side belongs on the food. The shiny sticks even when preparing the dumplings (wrap the dumpling mass in aluminum foil). I made the recipe in all honesty because I got to know how to prepare it at Hans Haas's in Tantris in the mid-1990s. Hans is a wonderful person and a fantastic cook and the asparagus actually tastes wonderful out of the foil. Baking paper is an alternative, the same effect is achieved in a small container with a lid (oven-proof). I think the dose makes the poison, I can't imagine that the aluminum foil is so, so poisonous that it kills us right away. Irrespective of that, I also know people who don't cook with stainless steel cooking pots, because the stainless steel ions are supposed to change the food, among other things, and dementia and other illnesses can possibly arise as a result. Incidentally, if there is a lack of iron, the use of iron cookware is recommended, so the aluminum-stainless steel discussion is certainly not completely absurd. Everything is very exciting, I make the aluminum foil asparagus spear oven dish a maximum of 3 times during the asparagus season, I prefer the variant on a baking sheet with baking paper and lying open, because the asparagus gets a nice color and of course I save myself and the environment the ALU-ION. For everyone reading along… if you use baking paper instead of aluminum foil, please close it tightly. The point of the dish is that the asparagus cooks in its own juice and can thus develop its wonderful aroma. I recommend using an office stapler and cutting open with scissors at the table after cooking. Continued good luck! Greetings Thomas Sixt
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Hello Thomas, I prepared the recipe exactly according to your instructions. The asparagus was second choice. So not very thick. He just didn't get done. I ended up having to finish cooking it in water. I told a friend about this. She told me that she succeeded with the recipe the first time and the second time the asparagus could not be softened. Why might that have been? Greetings Brigitte
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Hello Brigitte, thank you for your feedback. To be honest, I'm a bit perplexed. My asparagus always cooks well in the oven. Please peel the asparagus thoroughly, a professional pendulum peeler is the best tool for this. Pay attention to the temperature and the hot air level. Maybe there wasn't enough time… that's what it sounds like. Continued success Greetings Thomas Sixt
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This is how I make the asparagus, for years… tastes great. And above all, the kitchen stays clean. Kind regards Anne
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Hello Anne, thanks for your comment, keep up the good work! Kind regards Thomas
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Hello Thomas I have a question. Can frozen asparagus go in the oven? If so, what should I look out for? I look forward to an answer. Greetings from the Black Forest
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Hello Johann, thank you for your comment, frozen asparagus also works, but fresh asparagus is better. I would let the asparagus thaw and only then prepare it in the oven. Rather make small packages with aluminum foil and spread them out on a baking sheet. Stick to hot air! 🙂 If there is no fresh asparagus in the Black Forest, I'll send you one 🙂 Kind regards and good luck Thomas
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Hello Thomas, I have 2 kg of asparagus that I would like to prepare in a casserole dish for tonight (I would like to conjure up a sauce or soup from the liquid) now my question for you… How much liquid should I add approx. take? Is it enough if I cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil (open at the top and bottom), or should I close the sides completely? Thank you in advance 🙂
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Hello Sabine, thanks for your cooking question, unfortunately I didn't manage to answer earlier. The idea is to prepare the asparagus as a whole, which allows the taste to develop in a great and intense way. The soup won't work out, the amount of sauce here is just enough for the dish. When I cook this amount for several people, I always make portion packs. This makes arranging and serving easier. Only open the asparagus packs at the table, that's pure aromatic cuisine. The asparagus tastes the same as with the sous vide cooking method, but you save yourself the purchase of additional equipment. Good luck Greetings Thomas
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Hello Thomas, a wonderful asparagus recipe! I tried asparagus in the oven for the first time and we are all really excited! Thanks! Kind regards Petra
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Hello Petra, thank you for your nice comment, I'm pleased, I wish you continued success! LG Thomas Sixt
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Hello Thomas, thank you very much for the recipe. Asparagus is still in the oven, but I'm sure it will turn out delicious. It's great when professionals give a few tips… Have a nice weekend and stay healthy
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Hello Heiko, wish you a good appetite! LG Thomas
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Thanks Thomas, the asparagus was really delicious, great recipe.
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Hello Heiko, thank you for your comment, I am happy if you succeeded with the dish. Good succeed! Kind regards Thomas
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Hello Thomas I have just read your asparagus recipe and will make asparagus in the oven tomorrow. will report. I'm always thankful for something new. That's how I recently made asparagus raguet. Also very tasty. LG. helmet
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Hello Helma, I'm happy about that, enjoy it! LG Thomas
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30 minutes in the oven is a bit short, the asparagus was still quite firm, it certainly depends on the thickness of the asparagus and the oven. But basically great, simple and it tastes much better
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Hello stranger, the solution is actually in your comment. Another variant would be to halve particularly thick asparagus spears. Continued good luck! Greetings Thomas
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Hello Marc, find your comment totally inappropriate, Thomas describes in the article exactly what and how it is about. We can be really grateful to him for the detailed professional instructions. Thanks! Greetings Erika
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Hello dear Thomas, Great recipe, I can only recommend it! The asparagus stays nice and "juicy" and retains its typical aroma. I first considered doing it in a roaster, but then I decided to use the aluminum foil and will stick with it.
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Hello Sabina, thank you for your nice comment. Have fun and good luck!
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Hello Thomas, Be sure to use a vessel such as a casserole dish or pan and cover with aluminum foil if there is no lid. Has the same effect. Aluminum has no place on food in the oven! LG Marc
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Hi Marc, I thought for a long time about simply deleting your comment. Now I've corrected it a bit and at least added a salutation. Regarding your statement: 1. You are free to use a roaster, which is also in the article. 2. General statements are rarely correct, including yours. 3. Aluminum foil, the matt side of the foil, is completely harmless. Please never use the shiny side for wrapping or when preparing food. In principle, it would be appropriate to write in a friendly manner on external websites. You don't go into the inn and yell at the cook not to use aluminum foil, do you? I think 2 generations of the best chefs in the world can't be wrong, the above recipe comes in its original form from Hans Haas from the Tantris restaurant in Munich, 18 points Gault et Millau and ** Michelin. Perhaps I could now clarify an open question. I wish you good luck! Greetings Thomas
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Hi! I'm just happy to have discovered this beautiful page 🙂 However, I'm a bit confused about the recipe "asparagus in the oven, in the aluminum foil". In the printed summary it says under point 3. "… season the water with salt etc… well and cook the asparagus until al dente". I understood the recipe so that the asparagus goes directly into the foil and is no longer pre-cooked?! And one more question: Could you use baking paper instead of foil? Thank you very much for your answer!! Best regards, Christina
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Hello Christina, thank you for your nice comment. There actually was a mistake. I just fixed this. Thanks for the hint. The asparagus actually cooks in the foil, it is not necessary to cook the asparagus in advance. So pack the asparagus raw, peeled in the foil and seal it! You can also use parchment paper instead of aluminum foil! Kind regards and have fun with the recipe Greetings Thomas
Very tasty the asparagus from the oven. I live alone and eat max. 4 stalks of class 1 asparagus (slightly thicker). According to grandma's recipe, in water with salt, sugar and butter, the asparagus was always limp and tasteless. But now the asparagus still has a bite after 30 minutes and tastes so great with the light white wine note. Today, on Easter Sunday, there were lamb salmon with asparagus from the oven. Happy Easter !!!