Baked Egg & Asparagus

I'm starting off my birthday menu with a veggie that I still can't convert The Geologist to. Asparagus!! I love asparagus. I even love out-of-season asparagus!! If I could get him to love it, I would cook (and eat) it all the time. I saw this super-simple dish back in February, and have been waiting for an excuse to make it ever since. Enter: Birthday Week!

BTW, thanks for not minding about the page break, it has pretty much eliminated my spam comments! Hooray!

Baked Egg & Asparagus (adapted from Splash of Something)
Printable Recipe

butter (just enough to grease the baking dish)
a handful of thin asparagus
one or two eggs

lemon zest
2-3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon heavy cream
crushed red pepper flakes
kosher salt
black pepper

Preheat the oven’s broiler, and butter a small baking dish.

Trim your asparagus to fit lengthwise across the baking dish, and arrange it in a single layer. Sprinkle a few pinches of lemon zest over the asparagus.

Crack the egg(s) gently over the asparagus.

Drizzle the cream over all, and sprinkle on the Parmesan. Season with crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to taste.

Bake under the broiler on the middle rack until the egg white is set, 3-10 minutes (depending on how cooked you like your egg). Makes 1 serving.

No joke, I think I just discovered my favorite way to eat eggs. Seriously. Just a few simple ingredients, but it is SO delicious!!!

Delicious, tender roasted asparagus, crunchy toasted parmesan, bits of bright tangy lemon zest...

... And my favorite part, that golden, gooey yolk!! I thought this would need to be eaten on toast, but it holds it's own just fine without. Toast is yummy with it though. Now I just have to figure out the perfect timing, when the white is completely cooked while the yolk remains yummy... I may be chasing the impossible here! But it's worth it. I just might eat this for lunch... all week...

Shared at Foodie Friday