Roasted Asparagus with Bread Crumbs and Herbs

- 1¾ cups coarsely chopped
- bread crumbs, made from day-old bread
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- Grated zest of 2 lemons
- ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 hard-boiled eggs
- 2½ pounds asparagus, trimmed
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 teaspoons lemon pepper
Instructions:
Though I think this dish is perfect for a party, I don’t recommend preparing it in advance.
- Arrange a rack in the upper third of your oven and preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In a bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, mustard, thyme, 1½ table-spoons of the olive oil, and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until toasted, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a mixing bowl and let cool completely.
- When the bread crumbs are cool, add the lemon zest, parsley, and Parmesan. Dice the eggs and add to the bread crumb mixture.
- Turn the oven up to 425˚F. On a baking sheet, toss the asparagus with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, the garlic, and the lemon pepper, adding another generous pinch of salt if your lemon pepper doesn’t contain salt. Roast in the oven until the asparagus just starts to blister, about 10 minutes, though the time may vary depending on the thickness of the stalks.
- Transfer the asparagus to a serving platter and spoon the bread crumb mixture across the center. Serve warm.