Lemon Garlic Roasted Asparagus
I was SO HAPPY to see asparagus selling for $2.49 per bunch at the store last weekend. Yeah, that’s still pretty expensive but as far as asparagus go, that’s about as low as they get (at least around here). Note to self: grow asparagus in your future garden.
Asparagus are incredibly simple to cook whether you’re doing it on the stove top or in the oven. Steaming or sauteing asparagus on the stove is the fastest but they cook quickly so they require more attention (overcooked asparagus is a sad, sad thing). Roasting asparagus in the oven takes a little longer but you won’t have to watch them as closely. You can season them with whatever you want but I love asparagus so much that I usually just do salt and pepper, sometimes a little garlic. I happened to have a lemon sitting on my counter so I made use of that as well.
Lemon Garlic Roasted Asparagus
Lemon Garlic Roasted Asparagus
Ingredients
- 1 bunch asparagus ($2.49)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.11)
- 1 clove garlic ($0.07)
- 1 med lemon ($0.49)
- to taste salt and pepper ($0.05)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Rinse the asparagus well and cut off about one inch off the bottom of the stems (this part tends to be very fibrous and stringy).
- Place the asparagus on a baking sheet lined with foil and drizzle with olive oil. Mince the clove of garlic and zest the lemon. Sprinkle salt and freshly ground pepper over the asparagus, add the garlic and half of the lemon zest. Toss everything with your hands until everything is coated in oil and seasoning. Spread the asparagus out so they are in a single layer on the baking sheet.
- Place the asparagus in the oven. After ten minutes in the oven, use a spatula to stir the asparagus and then roast for ten more minutes. After twenty minutes total, the asparagus should be tender and even a little crispy on the tips.
- When the asparagus come out of the oven, sprinkle the remaining fresh lemon zest and just a little lemon juice.
Step By Step Photos
Wash the asparagus well before you begin. Choose asparagus that are neither too thin or too thick (super fat asparagus can be super stringy/woody).
Cut off about one inch from the bottom of the stalks. The ends tend to be more stringy and they dry out while they’re in the super market.
Place the asparagus on a baking sheet covered with foil. Drizzle 1 Tbsp of olive oil over top. Add salt, pepper, minced garlic and half of the lemon zest. Toss everything to coat and throw it into a preheated 400 degree oven.
Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, stirring it once half way through. After twenty minutes, the asparagus should be tender, just slightly shriveled and a little bit crispy on the tips. You don’t want to let them cook so long that they end up as super shriveled, limp pieces of green string. They should still have a little bit of strength so that you have something to chew!
Simple and delicious!
I’m going to try it
AHHH ASPARAGUS !!! You don’t have to chop off the base of this delectable veggie. I simply get out my peeler and peel off the white part down to the yummy white flesh under the skin! Asparagus is sometimes expensive depending the time of year you get that old CRAVE. Do not waste a bit. JUST PEEL AWAY ! LOL!! LISA
Yes, this is very nice. I would like to add my own version if you like which I’ve made for the last 10 years. I only buy asparagus when it goes down to 1.99 / lb. First the asparagus is marinated in olive oil, lemon juice and S&P for a few hours. Then you’d fire up the grill and over medium heat lay out the asparagus. Cook until limp and darkened, some prefer black. Pick off the small ones as they will cook first and eat as the others cook. I try to buy only medium size stalks. Avoid the tiny thin ones as well as the large woody ones. It should take 15 – 20 min. depending on the size of the veg. and your heat. A more gourmet version I’ve heard would be to wrap a few stalks in Prosciutto or Fontina cheese. Alternatively, you could just sprinkle your favorite cheese over the top on a serving dish and watch them dissapear.
I love asparagus, I love lemon and I love garlic. This dish looks perfect for my table. Will try it today. I just picked up a bunch yesterday st Aldis.thanks for this simple recripe.
This is delicious! I make broccoli the same way, also delicious.
very interestind ans very usefull
thank you
Looks great! How would I cook these on my gas grill??
It would be nice if you included nutritional information regarding the number of carbohydrates and fiber. Thanks.
Love the recipe asparagus it’s easy to make & healthy .its yummy.
This sounds very nice. Goodness, you got 24 asparagus spears in a bundle for $2.49 where you live? I live in Adelaide, South Australia, and we get about 6-8 spears for $2.99, depending on the size of the asparagus. So I tend to consider it a luxury item.
Yum except I break off the bottoms ends first by hand at the ‘natural’ break. Hold the asparagus horizontal by hand and pull down on the bottom end and it will naturally break off. If pressed for space or want equal length I then trim them.
I do the same thing.
Great recipe for summertime! it is very easy and quick to prepare. Good for a snack or a side dish!
Try sprinkling some seasoned breadcrumbs over them before placing them in the oven.
I used lime infused olive oil, I am going to try this with orange infused olive oil and orange zest for a totally different taste. Love this recipe, you can do so much with it