Spring is Coming and so is the Roasted Asparagus


While I don’t like wishing time away, I am waiting with baited breath for May and the arrival of local asparagus.  For my husband and I, this is one of our favourite recipes for asparagus.  It is a quick recipe, with thick asparagus spears, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and a little lemon juice.


For best results when roasting asparagus, use thick asparagus spears, not the skinny ones. The thin ones will dry out too quickly and will end up tough and stringy.

§  Prep time: 6 minutes
§  Cook time: 12 minutes
§   Serves 4.
Ingredients

1 lb asparagus spears (thick spears are best for roasting)
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
  Kosher Salt
 Freshly grated black pepper
  Lemon juice (or balsamic vinegar)

Directions

1 Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C). Rinse the asparagus spears. If the ends are tough, break them off and either discard or save for vegetable stock.

2 Line a roasting pan with foil. Arrange the asparagus spears in a single layer on the lined roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and rub the spears all over with the olive oil to coat. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and minced garlic, and rub over the asparagus spears to evenly distribute.

3 Roast for 10 minutes, more or less, depending on your particular oven and how thick the spears are, until the asparagus are just lightly browned and tender when you pierce them with a fork.

To serve, drizzle with fresh lemon juice or balsamic vinegar, and if you want, a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese.
I hope you get the chance to have lots of local asparagus in May and June this year.
Margaret Ann RD

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