This simple sautéed asparagus is paired beautifully with bright cherry tomatoes. A splash of cream and Parmesan rounds everything out. If you don’t know how to sauté asparagus, it’s easy! It’s great year-round as a summer side dish or a perfect complement for a holiday meal. Originally published March 20, 2014.
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Here’s why I love social media: a few days ago my sister-in-law Sandi went on our local mom’s Facebook group and asked if anybody knew of any poppy fields that were blooming. Like, what kind of obscure request is that, right?
Boom. 10 minutes later, a random lady had provided the name of a park on the river, with specific instructions on how to hike to the illustrious Field of Poppies. So off we went, cameras in hand.
I took a bazillion pictures of flowers and got one semi-decent shot (if you are a Real Photographer, stop snickering, it makes you sounds like a horse anyway):
Aaaaaaand here’s what Sandi got:
I’m not really sure how she succeeded in making my baby look like the Jolliest Christmas Elf That Ever Was, but she totally did. I can just see him with a tiny little hammer tinkering away at an Etch-a-Sketch, pointy ears a-twitching.
Truman was the easy one. Charlotte, on the other hand, totally freezes up when more than one person is paying attention to her. We ask her to smile, we get a grimace with upturned lips. We tickle her, she squirms mercilessly. We offer Fruit Loop bribes and get a meltdown when she can’t hold the baggie. Somehow, SOMEHOW, Sandi managed to make her look adorable and smiley.
As if to rub it in our face, Charlotte the Stoic was laughing and singing the whole car ride home. She giggled like a maniac about how half of her booty is purple and the other half is green and poopy poopy poopy. How did I not think of resorting to potty humor when it mattered most??
If you want to see the rest of the shoot, here it is. Thanks Sandi for photoshopping in both mine and Eric’s heads on the family shot so that we didn’t look like huge-mouthed Muppet characters (we were trying to make our kids smile for the camera.) Your talent is dumbfounding.
You need to try this Sauteed Asparagus Recipe
So who’s ready for some Starburst Jelly Beans and giant Reese’s Eggs? Oh wait, I mean healthy sautéed asparagus and spring ham. Whichever way you swing, Easter is coming up and I am SO excited! Easter has the best candy. I mean, the best vegetables. Whatever. This asparagus is paired up with some cherry tomatoes and finished off with a splash of cream and a smattering of fresh parmesan for good measure. I mean, you can’t really go wrong with this combo. I blanched the asparagus first to keep it pretty, but you can skip that step and just sauté it if you want. This would be a perfectly easy side to add to your Easter menu! And don’t forget these Gruyere-Crisped Potatoes Au Gratin. That would be tragic.
Some nights my veggie side is frozen peas from a bag, or steamed broccoli zapped in the microwave for a few minutes. When I want something a little bit fancier this is definitely the vibe. The acidity of the tomatoes contrasts with the cheese and cream, and garlic magically seasons the whole dish. It’s really not that hard, I should totally make it again this week!
Sauteed Asparagus and Tomatoes ingredients
Here’s a quick list of everything you need to make this. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for more ingredient details.
- Asparagus
- Cherry tomatoes
- Butter
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Heavy cream
- Parmesan cheese
How to sauté Asparagus and Tomato
Here’s a quick overview of how to sauté up some asparagus and tomato for the perfect veggie side. Scroll down to the recipe card below for complete instructions!
- Wash the asparagus and snap off the woody ends.
- In a large pot, bring water to a boil over high heat and add a little salt. When the water is boiling, blanch the asparagus. Put it in an ice bath to cool.
- Cut half of the cherry tomatoes in half.
- In a large skillet, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic when it is hot. Briefly saute, then add all the cherry tomatoes, both the whole ones and the cut ones.
- Cook the tomatoes, stirring occasionally, until some of the whole ones have burst. Turn the heat up to medium high. Add the blanched asparagus and continue to cook until the asparagus is crisp-tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove from heat and add cream and some grated parmesan.
How to serve this Asparagus and Tomato Recipe
This is the perfect veggie side for just about any meat, fish, or pasta main dish. It’s just so agreeable. Here are some of my favorites to serve this with!
Easy Quiche Recipe with Bacon and Spinach << healthy brunch pairing!
Ribeye Steak Recipe (Grilled or Pan-Seared) << I love the bright red and green of the veggies next to a perfect ribeye.
Best Chicken Alfredo Recipe << feel better about all the creamy, cheesy pasta, because you’re serving it with all those fresh healthy veggies!
Lemon Chicken in Basil Cream Sauce << perfect flavor combo.
20-Minute Pan-Seared Salmon with Arugula Pesto << I love this pesto! So bright.
Slow Grilled Mustard Chicken << a taste sensation you won’t be able to resist.
How to store Asparagus with Tomatoes
You can keep this in the fridge for 3-4 days. It would be a great meal prep side with some protein and rice (or cauliflower rice, my favorite). Don’t freeze it – the texture will not be preserved, and it’s so quick to make. Just make another batch.
Asparagus and Tomato Recipe FAQs
The purpose of soaking asparagus is to remove dirt. If you’re buying asparagus from the grocery store, you don’t need to soak it–it’s already been thoroughly washed. If you’re picking asparagus from your garden (wow, look at you!!) then you may want to soak and gently swish it around, on and off, for about 15 minutes. The same is true if you’re getting it from a farmer’s market or family farm that doesn’t have an industrial process for cleaning their veggies.
Cooked asparagus isn’t usually tough because of an improper cooking method, but because you didn’t snap off the tough, woody ends before preparing it. It’s easy to know how much to cut off by bending one of the spears until it snaps, then cutting all the other spears at once to the same length. In case it’s not clear, we’re keeping (and cooking, and eating) the part of the spear that has a fancy, frilly little head – the part that looks more like a light green stick is the part we’re throwing away.
In this recipe we’re blanching the asparagus before sauteing it, but you can also roast it with browned butter, or with lemon, tarragon, and pistachios. It’s also the perfect quick-cooking side as part of a stove top dish like Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken with Asparagus or Pork Chops in Creamy Mushroom Sauce. I also love it as part of an easy sheet pan meal like this Sheet Pan Salmon with Creamy Scalloped Potatoes.
Yes – but only part of them. An asparagus stem is a funny thing. Near the frilly head of the asparagus it’s tender and delightful. At the other end, opposite the head, it’s basically no better than chewing on a stick from your yard. Snapping the asparagus at its natural breaking point will show you exactly what you want to eat and what you want to toss in the garbage.
More asparagus recipes for spring!
Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken with Asparagus << this is a fun romantic dinner for two!
Balsamic-Browned Butter Asparagus << I can take down a whole pan of this stuff
Pork Chops in Creamy Mushroom Sauce with Asparagus << comfort food PLUS veggies, yes please
Homemade Asparagus Soup << creamy, tangy, perfect soup for spring
Simple Grilled Asparagus with Lemon from Hey Grill Hey
Ranch Roasted Asparagus from Swanky Recipes
Asparagus Ricotta Tart from Le Petit Eats
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Sautéed Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 6-8 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 pound asparagus
- 1 dry pint cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons cream
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup Parmesan, freshly grated
Instructions
- Wash the asparagus and snap off the woody ends.
- In a large pot, bring 6-8 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Add half a teaspoon of salt. When the water is boiling, add the asparagus and set a timer for one minute (don’t turn down the heat). Just one minute, don’t overdo it! You can do this in 2 batches if your pot is small.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the asparagus to a colander or bowl. Immediately run the asparagus under cold water for at least 10-15 seconds. (Or you could do an ice bath) You just need to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
- Cut half of the cherry tomatoes in half.
- In a large skillet, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic when it is hot. Saute for 1 minute, then add all the cherry tomatoes, both the whole ones and the cut ones.
- Cook the tomatoes for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until some of the whole ones have burst. Turn the heat up to medium high. Add the blanched asparagus and continue to cook for another 5-8 minutes, or until the asparagus is as crisp-tender as you like it. (Taste it!)
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove from heat and add 2 tablespoons of cream and some grated parmesan. Eat hot!
My go to asparagus choice. Great and simple. Thank you. Nov 2020.
Thank you for reviewing Gary! So glad it was a success.
You mentioned cream. Is it heavy whipping cream?
Hey Joanne, yes, heavy whipping cream!
This is yummy! My husband does not like asparagus but he loved this!
Yess! I love vegetable recipes that convert haters ;) I’m so glad, thanks for commenting Mary!
Is there a way to make this ahead of time and just heat in oven?
Hey Bre! Sorry for the late response. This recipe doesn’t lend itself well to reheating because the presentation isn’t as pretty. But I think it would still taste great! Did you try it?
I made this for supper tonight and it was the bomb!!
Awesome Donna! Glad you liked it! I need to make this again now that asparagus is in season!
Good afternoon! I’m a bit late on this post but since it is no longer asparagus season I was wondering if it would be equally as yum if I sub green beans? Any alterations? Thanks much! Love and Blessings!
Hi Kika! Yes, I think this would taste great with green beans! You may need to blanch them a little longer. Let me know how it turns out!