Roasted Asparagus – WellPlated.com

With its tender stalks and crispy ideas, Roasted Asparagus is among the most delectable methods to take pleasure in this wholesome, quick-cooking veggie. This can be a recipe that’s simple sufficient for a weeknight dinner, however fancy sufficient to serve for a vacation meal!

Why You’ll Love This Oven-Roasted Asparagus Recipe

• Fast-Cooking. As a result of asparagus is a softer vegetable and the spears are skinny, it cooks extra rapidly than onerous greens like Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Roasted Candy Potatoes. Simply 9 to fifteen minutes, relying on the thickness!
• (Virtually) Zero Prep. Simply trim the ends, and you might be able to roast (no laborious peeling like once you’re making Roasted Butternut Squash).
• Versatile. Season it up with Parmesan and lemon, make it spicy, or hold it easy. Pair it with a protein like Baked Salmon, or serve it alongside any of those pasta recipes.
• Feels a Little Fancy. Ohh-la-la asparagus! This veggie is a well-liked restaurant facet however, like Roasted Mushrooms one other dining-out favourite, it’s tremendous easy to make at residence.
• Child-Pleasant. Asparagus is kind of gentle, and the spears are enjoyable to choose up together with your fingers should you don’t thoughts letting the youngsters (and youngsters at coronary heart) have somewhat enjoyable. Asparagus was the primary inexperienced veggie I liked as a child. Roasted Broccoli took me till maturity to embrace, savory recent asparagus and I obtained alongside instantly.

How you can Make the Finest Roasted Asparagus

Baking good roast asparagus comes down to some simple however important ideas.

Trim the Asparagus

Each stalk of asparagus has a troublesome, woody finish that ought to be eliminated earlier than roasting. The place this woody part stops and begins varies from stalk to stalk.

There are two strategies for trimming asparagus to think about: bend and break or trimming with a knife.

• Bend and Break (least quantity of waste). Maintain the highest of the stem in a single hand and grip it close to the bottom with the opposite. Briskly bend, and the asparagus will naturally snap in the appropriate place. (Be at liberty to channel Legally Blonde and seek advice from this methodology because the “bend and snap.”)
• Lower the Bunch (quickest methodology). Maintain the complete bunch of asparagus in a single hand (this works very nicely if it’s nonetheless rubber-banded collectively) and trim off the ends about 1 1/2 inches or so from the underside.

For my part, the very best methodology of trimming asparagus is to bend and break.

It takes somewhat longer, however not a lot, and it ensures you solely take away the robust parts of every stalk, leading to much less waste and assured tenderness on each stalk.

Get Prepared for Roasting

• Wash and Dry the Asparagus. Like Roasted Inexperienced Beans and different veggies, asparagus ought to be washed earlier than it’s roasted (no must soak, except your asparagus is tremendous soiled). You are able to do this both earlier than or after trimming it; simply make sure you dry it utterly.
• Oil and Season. Make certain the asparagus has a light-weight coating so the ideas don’t burn. Preserve the seasonings easy with salt and pepper, or attempt one of many variations beneath.
• Unfold the Asparagus right into a Single Layer. Make certain the spears aren’t touching so the air can flow into.

Roast at a Excessive Temperature

• 425 levels F is the perfect oven temperature for roasting asparagus. The excessive warmth yields the crispy exterior, caramelized inside texture we’re in search of with out burning the spears.
• If you’re baking different dishes with the asparagus within the oven (or including it to this Sheet Pan Rooster with Rainbow Greens) and must tweak the oven temperature to accommodate, my second advice can be asparagus at 400 levels F.

Recipe Variations

Listed here are some tasty methods to season roasted asparagus with on a regular basis easy components.

• Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan. Sprinkle the roasted asparagus with freshly grated Parmesan cheese simply earlier than serving. You can also sprinkle on the cheese, then pop the asparagus again into the oven for a minute or two should you’d just like the cheese extra melty. Asiago cheese would even be pleasant.
• Roasted Asparagus with Lemon. Add a thinly sliced lemon to the pan with the asparagus previous to roasting. End the dish with an additional squeeze of recent lemon juice and lemon zest.
• Spicy Roasted Asparagus. Add a pinch of pink pepper flakes. This variation is very good mixed with lemon and Parmesan.
• Balsamic Roasted Asparagus. Drizzle the asparagus with 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar throughout the previous few minutes of cooking.
• Herb Roasted Aspargus. Add dried herbs like basil, oregano, or Italian seasoning (earlier than roasting), or end with chopped recent herbs like parsley (after roasting).
• Nutty Roasted Asparagus. Prime the asparagus with a sprinkle of toasted slivered almonds, chopped toasted pecans, or toasted pine nuts.
• Garlic Roasted Asparagus. Sprinkle and toss the asparagus in garlic powder previous to roasting.

Storage Ideas

• To Retailer. Refrigerate asparagus in an hermetic container for as much as 4 days. 
• To Reheat. Rewarm leftovers on a baking sheet within the oven at 350 levels F. 
• To Freeze. I don’t advocate freezing roasted asparagus, because it turns into mushy. For those who should, freeze asparagus in an hermetic, freezer-safe storage container for as much as 3 months. Let thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than reheating. 

What to Serve with Roasted Asparagus

Ideas and Methods

• Don’t Crowd the Pan. That is the cardinal rule for all roasted greens, whether or not we’re speaking about Oven Roasted Potatoes, Roasted Tomatoes, or blended Roasted Greens.
• Use Sufficient Oil. The spear wants a light-weight coating on all sides. If there isn’t sufficient, the spears’ tender ideas (the very best half!) will burn. Roasting is among the healthiest methods to cook dinner asparagus, so don’t fear about utilizing olive oil; it’s crucial to creating it style scrumptious.
• Don’t Overcook. For those who overcook asparagus, it should change into mushy, and it could possibly burn. It occurs extra rapidly than you’d anticipate.
• Use a Fork to Check for Doneness. The easiest way to inform if asparagus is completed and to maintain it from turning into soggy is to pierce it with a fork. As quickly because the fork can pierce the stalks simply, the asparagus is completed.
• Get Artistic. Have enjoyable with the seasoning concepts above. When unsure, make Bacon Wrapped Asparagus.

Extra Asparagus Recipes

Due to their ease and diet, asparagus is the right facet dish to arrange for any event. Listed here are a few of my favourite asparagus recipes: