2 lb. Asparagus, trimmed | 1 1/2 Tbs. Melted Butter |
Coarse Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper | 1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper |
1 1/2 c. Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese | 2 lrg. Egg Whites |
1 c. Panko Bread Crumbs | 1 tsp. Honey |
Preheat oven to 450. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Poke holes in each asparagus with a fork and toss with 1/2 tsp. salt. Drain for 30 minutes on paper towels. Combine one cup parmesan, bread crumbs, 1/2 tsp. pepper, red pepper and butter in a shallow bowl. Whip egg whites and honey in a mixing bowl until egg whites form soft peaks. Transfer to a 9×13 in. pan.
Roll each asparagus stalk in the egg whites, then roll them gently in bread crumb mixture, patting the bread crumbs along the stalk. Transfer to the foil-lined baking sheet. Bake asparagus for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 c. asparagus and bake for another 4-5 minutes until cheese and crumbs are a golden brown. Cool for about 5 minutes and serve.