Oven Roasted Asparagus
One of my favorite spring vegetables – oven roasted asparagus. You’ll only need four ingredients and 20 minutes to make this delicious side dish!
One of the surest signs of spring and one that I look forward to each year is the arrival of beautiful, fresh asparagus in the local grocery stores. It just shouts “it’s Spring!” to me.
I enjoy it cooked in lots of ways…steamed with butter, salt, and pepper, in casseroles, but my favorite is roasted. BeeBop on the other hand, wouldn’t touch it with a ten-foot pole.
I think he ate some once at my Mama’s house way back when, probably when we were just dating. And maybe one other time when I served it at a dinner party. He’s very polite like that. However, when he sees that I’m cooking asparagus, his usual response is “what am I going to eat?”
If you also have an asparagus hater in your house, try to get them to take a bite of this. The tips get nice and crunchy and so savory. They just might like it!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s quick and easy – 4 ingredients; 20 minutes
- Goes with almost anything
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Fresh asparagus
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Oven Roasted Asparagus
Let’s Go Step-by-Step
I always like to show you the photos and step-by-step instructions for my recipes to help you picture how to make them in your own kitchen. If you just want to print out a copy, you can skip to the bottom of the post where you’ll find the recipe card.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Or not. I just do it because it makes the cleanup easier :-)
Trim the woody, fibrous ends from the asparagus. I leave the top band on the bunch while trimming. It holds it together nicely and lets you make one single cut to take care of the whole bundle.
Place the stalks in a single layer on the lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. How much oil? It depends on how much asparagus you’re cooking. For one normal bundle, I use about three tablespoons of oil.
Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Then toss or roll the asparagus around in the pan to make sure each stalk is coated well.
Cook for 17-20 minutes. Cooking time will vary based on the size of the asparagus. Smaller, thinner stalks will need a shorter cooking time, and larger, thicker ones, a longer time. Start checking after about 15 minutes. You want the tips to be slightly crunchy but not burned. The thick part of the stalk should be tender but not completely limp.
Variations
- After roasting, sprinkle with the zest and juice of half a lemon
- Sprinkle with about 2 tablespoons of finely grated Parmesan cheese
- Toss with finely chopped mint, basil, or parsley
- Sprinkle with a little balsamic vinegar
- Cut the cold leftovers into 1 1/2 inch pieces and toss with your favorite vinaigrette
Recipe Tips
- You can prepare the asparagus by either cutting the ends as I show above, by peeling the woody ends with a vegetable peeler, or by snapping the tough ends off. To snap the ends, hold the stalk with both hands near the bottom of the stalk and bend gently. It will snap where the tough part begins.
- Use garlic flavored olive oil if you have it available; it lends an excellent flavor to this recipe.
- The easiest way to toss the asparagus with the oil, salt, and pepper is simply by using your hands.
FAQs
When you bring your asparagus home from the grocery store, trim about an inch from the ends. Then place it, cut ends down, in a jar filled with about an inch of water. Loosely cover the tip ends with a plastic bag. It will keep this way in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Yes. You can cook this the day before you want to serve and reheat briefly in the oven or microwave.
Cool it completely, and then place in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. Eat it cold or rewarmed briefly in the microwave.
Oven roasted asparagus goes really well with lots of main dishes. I’d suggest serving it with my Butter Roasted Chicken, Simple Grilled Fish, or Marinated Pork Loin.
Yes. Rinse the asparagus with cool water and dry it well. Wet asparagus will steam instead of roast.
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Recipe
Oven Roasted Asparagus
Ingredients
- 1 bundle fresh asparagus
- 3 tablespoons olive oil plain or garlic infused
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Trim ends from asparagus.
- Place in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
- Cook for 17-20 minutes.
Notes
- After roasting, sprinkle with the zest and juice of half a lemon
- Sprinkle with about 2 tablespoons of finely grated Parmesan cheese
- Toss with finely chopped mint, basil, or parsley
- Sprinkle with a little balsamic vinegar
- Cut the cold leftovers into 1 ½ inch pieces and toss with your favorite vinaigrette
- You can prepare the asparagus by either cutting the ends as I show above, by peeling the woody ends with a vegetable peeler, or by snapping the tough ends off. To snap the ends, hold the stalk with both hands near the bottom of the stalk and bend gently. It will snap where the tough part begins.
- Use garlic flavored olive oil if you have it available; it lends an excellent flavor to this recipe.
- The easiest way to toss the asparagus with the oil, salt, and pepper is simply by using your hands.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your health care provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
Looks absolutely wonderful Lana, and it’s just how we do it up here in southeast Michigan. I also like to roll them up in that foil and throw it right on the grill next to my pork loin or chicken thighs. Asparagus always seem to round out a perfect meal for us!
Thanks!
Lana roasted asparagus is a favorite of mine. Sometimes I make a whole meal of it since I am a widow and only cook for myself unless guests are here. My husband didn’t like asparagus either. Maybe its a man thing?? I am wondering if you have tried it with lemon infused olive oil? I don’t know if it is available all over the US or not. It is sold here at a gift store at one of the wineries. They make it there. Absolutely delicious drizzled on the asparagus prior to roasting. I enjoy the garlic infused olive oil too. Love your website, Lana–what a great service to people who love trying new recipes. Thanks.
Rosemarie – I haven’t tried the lemon infused oil but it sounds really delicious! I’ll be on the lookout for it. And thank you for your kind comment about the blog. It’s something that I really enjoy doing but some days it can feel a bit like “work.” Comments like yours really keep me going :-)
Lana I know it is a lot of hard work and lots of hours of preparation goes into anythings like this. Some days are harder than others. Just know it is much appreciated and you are making others happy.
Yummy I made this tonight and it was super tasty and crunchy and oh so good!!!
I really enjoy asparagus and this looks like a quick and easy method for a tasty veggie side. Thx for sharing.
Looks delicious. I used to hate asparagus, but it’s growing on me. This preparation method sounds wonderful!
We do have a person or two in our family that dislikes veggies, but we don’t prepare anything special for them; if they don’t like it, they have to fend for themselves. ;D
Can you believe I’ve never had asparagus??
Well, this is the season. It’s fresh and perfect right now. So run on out and grab some and give it a shot!
This is one of my favorite ways to prepare asparagus now! I have even added minced fresh garlic and balsamic vinegar to them before the roasting, wonderful flavor!
Bon appetite!
CCR
=:~)
The balsamic vinegar sounds like a nice touch. I’ll try a little next time.
Asparagus is a family favorite. We have it a lot in the spring and summer. We make it every time we grill out. I will have to try the garlic infused olive oil- nice addition.
I’ve been broadening my horizons and trying different veggies. I’ve been looking for an asparagus recipe to try. Thanks. Come on BeeBop, give it a try!!!
I’m afraid that’s one of those things that BeeBop will just never eat unless he absolutely has to. Do give this recipe a try…I’ll bet you like it!
I love my asparagus roasted. Roasting makes everything taste better, doesn’t it?
Great minds think alike :) I love the use of garlic infused olive oil…yum!
Trina, I think you have to adjust the cooking time according to the size of your asparagus spears. Any cooked asparagus is going to have a little softness in the spear, but it shouldn’t be overly limp. Also, make sure that it is very dry before you add the oil. I wash mine and wrap it in paper towels to store overnight (or longer) before roasting.
I’m also a big fan of this approach to asparagus but often get the cooking time wrong. Many thanks for sharing your recommendations, which I’ll adopt.
Asparagus, I just love it. This looks great. Grilled some for the first time over the weekend.
I’m so happy it’s asparagus time. We roast ours on the grill. We do the foil and olive oil, salt and pepper and stick in on the grill. Best stuff in the world