Asian Chimichurri Roasted Asparagus

This ginger wasabi roasted asparagus recipe is a bright and unique take on a traditional veggie side dish! Crisp asparagus stems are topped with a citrusy and intriguing wasabi sesame blend, and are then roasted in the oven to perfection! The heat of the oven helps to burn off the pungency of the wasabi, leaving the ghost of what was once spicy wasabi dancing on your taste buds.

What Does This Unique Asparagus Recipe Taste Like?

This vegetable recipe with wasabi does not leave you runny nosed and teary eyed like fresh, raw wasabi will. The heat of the oven ‘burns it off‘, leaving the consumer with the slight notion that there was wasabi in this recipe. The citrusy brightness comes from fresh squeezed lime juice, and the garden-fresh herb of parsley continues to contribute to the earthy brilliance of this unique asparagus recipe.

How To Make The Marinade For Asparagus:

This is a ‘toss it all in a food processor‘ kind of recipe; my favorite!

To start, chop off the long stems of the parsley, leaving a little stem and a lot of parsley leaves. Add the red onion and shallot to the food processor or blender (see frequently asked questions), then toss in the ginger, salt, lime juice, sesame oil and wasabi paste! Blend it until everything is uniformly chopped. Cut the far ends of the asparagus off, and top it with the sauce for asparagus! The ginger wasabi asparagus are then roasted in the oven for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

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How To Dress It Up!

To make this parsley sauce look extra beautiful, I sprinkled minced red onion, sesame seeds, and fresh ground pepper over the top of the asparagus before roasting. Adding a pop of greens contrasting color, purple, helps to add dimension and harmony to the dish, while the sesame seeds tell the eater to expect some awesome Asian flavors! I also baked the asparagus with half of a lime, then sautéed the lime for about 2 minutes to char it a bit, which not only looks beautiful but slightly matures the flavor of the lime, if anyone chose to squeeze It over their asparagus dish.

If you are in need of an awesome baking dish, this Le Creuset Stoneware Rectangular Dish comes with a lid that doubles as a platter dish!!! What an amazing idea!

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Healthy Chicken Drumstick Recipe:

This gourmet asparagus recipe need not be limited to vegetables! It’s also a great parsley sauce for chicken! I sautéed chicken drumsticks in a pan until the skin was crispy on each side, about 8 minutes. Then I placed the chimichurri sauce for chicken on top of the drumsticks, and baked them at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. It kind of looks like it was burnt, but it wasn’t! The flavors of the asian chimichurri were bright, yet subtle. I personally thought it was delicious! If you want to decrease the ‘charing’ of the chimichurri, try baking the chicken at 400 degrees for 15 minutes before adding the sauce, then finish baking for another 15 minutes.

You can also try tossing different vegetables in the ginger wasabi sauce! I bet Brussels sprouts or green beans would taste AMAZING in it!

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When To Serve This Dish:

This asian chimichurri roasted asparagus recipe makes for the best spring or summer side dish because of how fresh and bright it is! Double the recipe for a mouth-watering asparagus dish that is perfect as a backyard bbq side or healthy dinner party recipe. You can even make this a grilled asparagus recipe: follow all of the steps, but instead of placing it in the oven, put the asparagus tossed in asian chimichurri on a veggie grill pan and grill them for about 10 minutes!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I use cilantro instead of parsley?	Definitely! Just note that it will for sure change the flavor of the chimichurri. I have not tried this, but I bet it will still taste amazing!
Do I need to use a food processor, or can I use a blender?	Okay, so I tried to use a blender to make this marinade for asparagus (you can see in my photos that I used a blender), however, I was unsuccessful. I ended up transferring everything to my mini food processor and finishing it there. But if you have an AWESOME blender that can do the job, more power to you!
Where can I find wasabi paste?	You may have to do a little searching, but most grocery stores carry their wasabi paste in the asian condiments section. It is usually in a bright green box, and the paste itself is inside of a small ‘toothpaste-like’ tube and is bright green.
How do I make the chimichurri sauce for chicken?	If making a chicken and asparagus dinner: Pan sear the drumsticks in oil until the skin is crispy on each side, about 8 minutes (you can also do this with chicken thighs).  Top with asian chimichurri and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.  If you prefer the sauce to be less charred (I promise it was not burnt, it just looks that way!), try baking the chicken in the oven for 15 minutes before topping with the parsley sauce and finishing in the oven for the last 15 minutes.

Did you like this ‘Asian Chimichurri Roasted Asparagus‘ recipe?! If so, go check out my vegan ‘Instant Pot Cauliflower Tikka Masala‘ recipe!