One of my favorite spring vegetables - oven roasted asparagus. You'll only need four ingredients and 20 minutes to make this delicious side dish!
Prep Time 2 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Total Time 22 minutesminutes
Servings 4servings
Ingredients
1bundlefresh asparagus
3tablespoonsolive oilplain or garlic infused
1teaspoonkosher salt
½teaspoonground 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
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 ½ 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.
FAQsHow do you store fresh asparagus? 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.Can I make this recipe ahead of time? Yes. You can cook this the day before you want to serve and reheat briefly in the oven or microwave.How do you store leftover oven roasted asparagus? 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.Should you wash asparagus before roasting? Yes. Rinse the asparagus with cool water and dry it well. Wet asparagus will steam instead of roast.