Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 18–22 minutes, until the asparagus is tender when pierced with a fork but not mushy, and the cream is bubbling and noticeably thicker around the edges.
If you want a slightly more golden top, switch the oven to broil for 1–2 minutes at the end, watching closely so the cheese doesn’t burn. The sauce should be thick, creamy, and clinging to the asparagus.
Remove from the oven and let the dish sit for 5 minutes. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools slightly, turning into that decadent, spoonable cream that pools around the asparagus on the plate.
Taste a bit of the sauce and add a pinch more salt or pepper if needed. Serve the asparagus on a white plate or shallow bowl, spooning plenty of the creamy garlic sauce over the top so the spears are almost swimming in it.
Variations & Tips
If you like a little brightness to cut through the richness, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a sprinkle of lemon zest over the asparagus right before serving. For extra garlic lovers, you can bump the garlic up to 4 cloves or roast a head of garlic alongside the dish and mash some of the soft cloves into the cream before pouring it over the asparagus. To make this slightly lighter, swap half of the heavy cream for whole milk or half-and-half, knowing the sauce will be a bit thinner but still tasty. For a different flavor twist, use Pecorino Romano instead of Parmesan for a saltier, sharper finish, or add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the cream mixture for a gentle heat. If you’re cooking ahead for a potluck, assemble the dish up to the point of adding the cream and cheese, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours; then bake just before serving, adding a couple of extra minutes to the cook time if it’s going into the oven cold.
