THE BEST Roasted Asparagus Recipe - foodiecrush .com (2024)

This roasted asparagus recipe is a fast and healthy side dish that gets sweet and tender with just a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and a hot oven.

Easy Roasted Asparagus Recipe

No matter what type of diet you follow, one of the healthiest ways to eat asparagus is cooking it in the oven on high heat. Drizzled with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice, roasted asparagus cooked in a hot oven becomes tender, sweet, and full of flavor. Asparagus is high in fiber, loaded with nutrients, and won’t spike glucose levels like carrots or potatoes can after you eat it. Ready in about 15 minutes, one of my favorite ways to enjoy roasted asparagus is to roast a batch of it for eating all through the week. You’ll usually find it in on my plate with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese or topped with browned butter and almonds. It’s also a fave added to salads, this scrambled egg breakfast toast, and in my gooey dill harvarti and asparagus grilled cheese sandwich. I even snack on it straight from the fridge. Quick and easy, roasted asparagus is a simple side dish workhorse everyone loves.

5 Facts about Healthy Asparagus

1. Asparagus is high in several vitamins and minerals, including vitamin K, vitamin E, folate, and fiber, and it also helps regulate blood sugar.
2. Asparagus is so healthy for you! It has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, including glutathione, which fights cancer, protects your skin from pollution and sun damage, and also slows down the aging process (yes, please).
3. Asparagus has a high water content and is a natural diuretic.
4. Speaking of, um what’s up with asparagus making our pee smell so funky? Well, turns out this veg contains asparagusic acid and when we start to digest asparagus, the acid is broken down into a group of sulfurous compounds (hence the offensive scent). #worthit
5. Back in the day (like ancient times), asparagus was regarded as an aphrodisiac. Smelly pee and all. Who knew?

What You’ll Need for This Roasted Asparagus Recipe

When asparagus is roasted, it caramelizes and becomes sweetly delicious. It’s so good it doesn’t need much added to it at all.

All you need for roasting asparagus is:

• a sheet pan
• olive oil
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• a hot oven
• a squeeze of fresh lemon

How to Prep Asparagus

Is asparagus better thick or thin? Ah, the debate that rages on…with no right answer. With roasted asparagus where the sugars caramelize in high heat, you’ll find a sweeter bite, so both sizes taste delicious. Adjust your cooking time depending on the thickness of the stalk.

Look for the freshest stalks you can find. Choose bright green stalks that are firm and fresh. While asparagus is more readily available in spring, you can typically find good quality year-round.

Always wash the asparagus before roasting. Gently press with a kitchen towel to remove any moisture so the oil sticks to the stalks and the asparagus roasts instead of steaming.

Trim or peel your asparagus. Back in the day, I would bend each stalk of asparagus until it snapped to discard the woody stem, about one inch up from the bottom of the stalk. However, snapping your asparagus results in too much waste. These days I just line them up and chop off the woody ends (really just the bottom inch) with a sharp knife.

I don’t bother with peeling asparagus spears. But for a more tender asparagus stalk, use a vegetable peeler to trim the outer layer of the spear.

How Long to Roast Asparagus?

Depending on how thick your asparagus spears are, cook roasted asparagus at 450°F for 8 to 10 minutes.

How to Make This Roasted Asparagus Recipe

Cooking asparagus in the oven couldn’t be simpler! I’ve outlined the basic steps below, but keep scrolling for more detailed instructions in the recipe card below.

• Line your baking sheet with foil. This makes for a super fast clean-up.
• Toss on your sheet. Drizzle the olive oil directly on your asparagus and season with salt and pepper, then toss with your hands before roasting. Why dirty an extra bowl?
• Use high heat. Roast asparagus at 450°F. High heat caramelizes the sugars in the asparagus for a super delicious spear. Adjust your roasting time depending on the thickness of your spears.
• Brighten up the flavors.Once the roasted asparagus comes out of the oven, immediately squeeze a little lemon juice on top to brighten up the flavors and round out the dish.

Ways to Dress Up This Roasted Asparagus Recipe

If you want to add more flavor to your oven-roasted asparagus, consider adding these ingredients:

• easy 3-minute blender hollandaise
• savory umami salty cheeses like Parmesan, feta, or flue cheese
• garlic bread crumbs
• garlic butter
• brown butter with nuts
• minced prosciutto with shallots
• caprese flavors of roasted tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and basil
• chopped eggs and capers
• Top with fresh herbs

Why is My Roasted Asparagus Soggy?

Soggy asparagus is caused by overcooking and depleting the asparagus of its natural moisture. So the best way to keep asparagus crisp when cooking is to simply not overcook it.

Can I Prep Roasted Asparagus in Advance?

Absolutely! Oven roasted asparagus tastes delish warm or at room temperature, so this is a great make-ahead side dish if you have people coming over for dinner. You can also repurpose the leftovers in many ways.

More Easy Asparagus Recipes to Make

• Roasted Asparagus with 3-Minute Blender Hollandaise
• Scrambled Egg And Roasted Asparagus Toasts
• Mustard Salmon Sheet-Pan Dinner
• Broiled Miso Cod With Vegetables
• The Best Grilled Asparagus
• Creamy Asparagus and Salmon Pasta
• Asparagus and Mushroom Frittata

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave arating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo andtag me on Instagramwith #foodiecrusheats.

More Vegetable Side Dish Recipes

• How to Cook Easy Roasted Vegetables
• How to Cook Roasted Beets
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta
• Rosemary Garlic Butter Smashed Potatoes
• How to Cook Roasted Cauliflower
• The Best Oven Roasted Crispy Potatoes
• Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

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