The Best, Easiest Side Dish Ever: Oven-Roasted Asparagus
Roasting is our very favorite way to cook asparagus (and most other vegetables, for that matter!). A little olive oil, some salt and quick 10-minute roast transforms even the most so-so grocery store asparagus into a positively irresistible side dish. And did we mention how easy it is? Our roasted asparagus recipe requires really minimal prep and is the kind of thing you’ll have memorized after making it once or twice. You can snap off the bottoms with your hands—our preferred method, simply because it’s more fun—or trim the ends off with a knife. Or, if you’ve got kids or a bored spouse in the house, outsource this task to them! Asparagus makes a fabulous and simple holiday side dish, but it’s also easy enough for every day. Serve it with a big slab of roasted salmon for a crazy simple, healthy, delicious 15-minute supper, or serve it as part of a fancy schmancy dinner party menu. In fact, roasted asparagus lends itself really nicely to elaborate dinner parties, because it is so simple and it is completely delicious served at room temperature so you don’t have to make yourself too crazy with the timing of it all. Either way, roasted asparagus makes a lovely addition to your table.
Asparagus 101
Asparagus is in season in the springtime—in fact, it’s one of the very first of the spring veggies to, well, spring up!—but it’s available pretty much year-round at larger grocery stores. If you’re worried about your asparagus being a bit stringy—something that’s more likely to happen if your asparagus isn’t ultra-fresh or early season—no worries! You can take a vegetable peeler and peel off the outer layer of the bottom half of the asparagus spears, and that should do away with any potential stringiness. As for size, choosing between large or small stemmed asparagus is simply a matter of taste. Fat asparagus stalks can be just as tender and flavorful as their ultra-thin counterparts. Instead of worrying about size, shop for freshness. You want to see bunches of asparagus spears that all have a nice, bright green color, tightly closed tips and firm stems.
3 Ingredients to Roasted Asparagus Perfection
You’ve tracked down the very best asparagus you can get your hands on and you’re ready to try your hand at this easy roasted asparagus recipe! But wait—you forgot to see if you need any other special ingredients for it! Well, you’re in luck! This recipe is as simple as can be. Sure you could dress it up a little—drizzle it with balsamic before serving, or a dusting of parm—but we like to keep things straightforward. Not only does it make this recipe that much more approachable, but when you’ve got really good asparagus, you’ve got to let that veggie shine! Why muddy that gorgeous, vegetal sweetness with anything but the most basic, complimentary flavors? Here’s all you’ll need to make roasted asparagus:
Asparagus.
Olive oil.
Salt and pepper. Yes, this is two ingredients. But salt and pepper barely count, because you’ve definitely got salt and pepper, right?
How To Roast Asparagus
This roasted asparagus recipe is so easy you could do it with your eyes closed. But you shouldn’t do that, because it involves a very hot oven. So trim your asparagus, open your eyes and let’s get roasting! Here’s how to roast asparagus:
Crank that oven! Roasting means high heat—we like good old 425°F.
Wash and trim your asparagus. Or, even better, enlist little helper elves.
Lay the prepped asparagus spears on a baking sheet and toss them with oil, salt and pepper.
Roast! They only need about 10 minutes, but keep a close eye on them! Thin spears will cook faster than thick ones. When they look tender and roasty—browning a bit at the top, but not even a little bit burned—pull them out.
Tools You’ll Need
More Roasted Vegetable Recipes
Show Us Your Stuff!
We’d love to see the fruits—or in this case, veggies—of your labors! When you try our easy roasted asparagus recipe, show us how it all turned out! Share a photo and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so that we can see your stuff! Happy eating!
