Baked Panko-Crusted Asparagus

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Wash, dry and trim off the tough bottom portions of the asparagus.

Place the flour in a shallow dish. In a second dish, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the salt and the pepper. In a third dish, mix the Panko and Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs together. Have a fourth dish set aside to hold the finished, breaded asparagus spears.

Working in batches, dredge the asparagus spears first in the flour, then in the egg mixture and then in the breadcrumbs. Transfer the breaded asparagus spears to the empty dish. Repeat this procedure until all the asparagus spears have been breaded.

Pour 3/4 cup of the olive oil onto a baking sheet that is large enough to accommodate all of the asparagus (I used a half-sheet pan). Place the oiled baking sheet in the oven for about 5 minutes to heat the oil. Watch the baking sheet carefully to make sure the oil does not smoke or burn.

Carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven and place the breaded asparagus spears on the baking sheet (it’s OK if they touch). Do not roll the asparagus spears in the oil (this will cause the breading to get soggy and fall off).

Bake the asparagus for 35-40 minutes, or until golden and lightly sizzling. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 5-10 minutes before serving–this will allow them to cool off a bit and let the breading “set” so that its crispy texture remains intact.