My favorite way to prepare asparagus is oven roasting. This easy method is so simple and so delicious! The roasting gives the tips of the asparagus a salty crunch and makes the stems melt-in-your-mouth tender.
Asparagus is one of the many reasons I love spring. I adore asparagus. It’s so easy to prepare, and its unique flavor compliments a variety of entrée dishes. Asparagus has many health benefits; it’s rich in fiber and a natural diuretic. It’s also high in potassium and folate, both of which are important for heart health. Roasting brings out natural sweetness in the asparagus, and makes it tender but not mushy (like boiling or steaming sometimes does).
Whenever I serve this to dinner guests, I am always asked for my roasting method. This is a great side dish to have in your arsenal; it’s nice enough to serve guests, but also a tasty and healthy treat for a weeknight. Roasted asparagus is quick, delicious, gluten free, and vegan.
If you don’t normally enjoy the flavor of this wonderful vegetable, I dare you to try it this way. You might just change your mind.
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Oven Roasted Asparagus
Ingredients
- 1 bunch asparagus (about 1 lb.)- thicker, larger stalks work best
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Black pepper
NOTES
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Wash asparagus and pat dry. Trim off the tough, thick end of each stalk (in larger stalks this tough end may extend higher than on thin stalks). Spread asparagus out on ungreased baking sheet. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil evenly over the top of the asparagus; I use about 1 tbsp of oil for each pound of asparagus. Use your fingers to gently rub each stalk evenly with the olive oil. Sprinkle the asparagus generously with salt and pepper. Place in the oven.
- Roast the asparagus for 12-15 minutes. You will know they’re done when the asparagus turns bright green, the stems are tender, and the tips of the asparagus begin to get crisp from roasting. Small or very thin stalks may take less than 12 minutes to roast. Serve hot.
Nutrition
It appears there was a glitch in the auto-calculation feature on my recipe program, which was pulling from the recipe card rather than the customized values I had included. I just corrected it, it should reflect the proper values for 1 tbsp olive oil and 3/4 tsp salt now. Thank you for pointing it out!
You are right Mary, thank you for pointing that out. I have corrected the nutrition calculation to include 1 tbsp olive oil. My system auto-generates the calorie information, and sometimes it doesn’t calculate accurately, so I had to manually adjust. This is why I have a note below the nutrition card which reads: “Nutritional information should be considered an estimate only; please consult a registered dietician, nutritionist, or your physician for specific health-related questions.”
Perfectly as described! I have also sprinkled smoked paprika
My son who is anti veggies LOVES these! Thank you!!!!
I am looking for Vegan recipes and came across your site. I can’t wait to try some of them out.
This is delicious! I add lemon zest and a squeeze of the lemon over it prior to roasting. I made this in advance for a party and my male guest helper ate almost a pound of it before the guests arrived— he said he just couldn’t stop! I sent him back to the grocery to buy more . This is a winner method. Easy and fast. 425 for 8-10 minutes, testing them along the way. Yum.
I also find it irresistible! And healthy, too – win, win!