Vegetables

Roasted Asparagus Serves 4 to 6

We love asparagus at our house and I have prepared it in numerous ways but our all-time favorite is roasted. It has lots of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Plus it doesn't take long to cook and involves just a small amount of preparation. I learned a long time ago that keeping my baking pans clean and shiny was impossible so now I just wash and dry. I still use parchment because it makes cleanup easier. And I like having that barrier between the food and the pan.

When choosing asparagus to cook, don't think that the smaller stalks are better. I always choose the stalks that are finger-sized. The small stalks (¼ to ½-inch) are from new plants that haven't had time to fully develop. The picture below is from one of my new plants from this year. I usually don't start to harvest until the third year and then I only cut the larger stalks.

Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients

1 pound asparagus
1 Tbsp lemon juice
¼ tsp pepper
Salt

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Instructions

1. Rinse and trim off about 1½ inches on the tough end of

the asparagus stalks. Place on the baking sheet.

2. Drizzle the lemon juice over the stalks, toss lightly, arrange

on the baking sheet then season with salt and pepper.

3. Roast 8 to 10 minutes, shaking pan often until just tender.

Be careful not to overcook.

4. Transfer to serving plate; garnish with small pieces of lemon

zest and/or parsley.

Tips

• Refrigerate your asparagus as soon as you get it home. You can wrap it in damp (not wet) paper towels and store in a sealed ziptop bag OR place in a jar filled with 1-inch of water and loosely place a plastic bag

over the top. Should last for 4 to 5 days.

KEYWORDS

roasted asparagus, best roasted asparagus

LAURA LEE ALICE
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