This Oven Roasted Asparagus recipe lets the vegetable shine through. Roast this side dish in the oven while you make the main dish. Delicious and easy recipe.
Oven roasted asparagus is our favorite way to eat asparagus. It’s quick and easy to make. This can be on your dinner table in less than 30 minutes, and the results are always delicious. If you’re looking for a tasty side dish to add to your dinner menu, you should definitely try this recipe.
Easy Asparagus Recipe
Roasting asparagus brings out its natural sweetness, and the garlic adds a nice touch of flavor. You’ll be surprised at how great this dish tastes. We love this as a side dish any time of year, not just the spring when it is asparagus season. However, we do go hunting in all the nooks and crannies on our farm for a few of my favorite green stems. It is a delicious way eat healthy.
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Fresh Asparagus is So Delicious
Recently, I purchased 4 bunches of asparagus. Well, it may seem like a lit until you realize that I can eat an entire bunch by myself. My husband even likes this. It can be hard to get your family to eat their vegetables, but this one my whole family enjoys.
Restaurant Side Dish
The last time I ate at roast asparagus at a restaurant, I think they served me 5 sprigs. It was very good, but not nearly enough. Learn how to make this delicious side dish at home and not only save money, but eat this as often as you like.
Picking the Right Asparagus
Make sure when you are buying from a grocery store or farmers market, look for good quality asparagus spears. They should be fresh looking in the bunches and they have plump stems. Size is not necessary an indicator of quality or flavor; thick asparagus is just more mature than the thin variety.
- Look for bright green or violet-tinged spears.
- The tips should be closed and compact.
- Try and squeeze the bunch a little. It should make a slight squeaking noise.
- Bottom Line: if the asparagus is wrinkly and not fresh looking, move along.
Storing Asparagus to Keep it Fresh up to a Week
If you aren’t making this roasted asparagus recipe the day you come home from the grocery store, you are going to want to store it in your refrigerator.
Stand the asparagus up in a glass or jar with about an inch or two of water, making sure all the ends are sitting in the water. It is a good idea to give the bottom of the stem a little trim before placing in the water. Cover the container loosely with a plastic bag until you are ready to use, for up to a week.
Prepping YOUR ASPARAGUS
When you are ready to make your asparagus, take the jar out of the refrigerator and give it a light wash.
Next, trim off the woody part of the stem on the bottom. Normally 1-2 inches. You can bend the asparagus and feel where it begins to get tough.
However, sometimes, you end up removing some of the woody ends that could still soften during the cooking process. Therefore, if you just trim the ends with a knife approximately 1 to 2 inches from the bottom, its the easiest way to have less waste and it will cook up tender.
Some people just use a vegetable peeler and trim off the outer part of the stalk on the lower 2-inches.
Variety of Toppings
While I enjoy this vegetable with simple olive oil, salt, and pepper. It is also fun to dress it up for special occasions or just something different for your family meal. For us, adding a sauce is the best way to enjoy this dish as a perfect side dish.
Make a lovely buttery and creamy sauce to drizzle on top – Yum. A great flavor combination.
A few ideas on what you can add:
- Lemon juice or lemon zest
- Everything Bagel
- Lemon powder
- Parmesan cheese
- Garlic powder
- Fresh garlic
- For heat, add red pepper flakes, Cajun seasoning, or Old Bay seasoning
- Sunshine Butter Sauce
- Creamy Garlic Butter Sauce
- Easy No-Fail Hollandaise Sauce
How to Roast Asparagus
Roasting asparagus is easy and quick. Here is the basic recipe. Just prep the asparagus and prepare with simple ingredients. Drizzle a bit of olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. I like to do this on a large bowl. Then transfer to a rimmed baking sheet pan in a single layer for best results. Pro Tip. Line with parchment paper or aluminum foil for easy clean-up.
Bake until the asparagus is fork tender and starting to crisp on the outside. I check mine easily by piercing through the stalk with a fork. Generally, 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees.
The cooking times will vary depending on the thickness of the asparagus spear. the pencil-thin asparagus can cook in as little as 10 minutes. Thicker asparagus stalks can take up to 20 minutes to roast in the oven.
What to Serve With Asparagus?
Asparagus pairs well with steak, pork, chicken, and fish. It is a very versatile vegetable. Add this into your favorite pasta and sauce.
I hope you give this healthy side dish recipe a try. You just might think you are eating in a fancy restaurant.
Oven Roasted Asparagus
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Kitchen Essentials
Ingredients
- 1 Bunch Asparagus Spears Trimmed
- 2 Tbl. Olive Oil
- 1 Tsp. Salt
- 1/2 Tsp. Black Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place trimmed asparagus sears in a large bowl. Coat with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat.If you want to add other toppings, now would be a good time for that. Such as the lemon, Parmesan, or garlic.
- Arrange the asparagus onto a baking sheet in a single layer.
Note, I baked 4 bunches today, so I had more than a single layer. It still tasted delicious.
- Bake in the preheated oven until just tender, Approximately 15-20 minutes depending on thickness.
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I hope that you liked this recipe. If you are looking for more ideas on what to make, here are a few other recipes that you may enjoy.
You can find Victoria crocheting, quilting, and creating recipes. She has cooked in restaurants for over 20 years, including many larger parties. She learned to crochet when she was just 11 years old and has been crocheting ever since; over 50 years now. Over 40 years ago, she loved her first class in sewing and continues to hone her skills in quilting. Many have enjoyed the handmade gifts over the years. In her professional career, she has worked in management in a wide variety of businesses including higher education as a dean of a division. All the while attending college part-time to achieve her doctorate in higher education with an emphasis in e-learning.