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
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 work horse everyone loves.
5 Facts about Healthy Asparagus
- Asparagus is high in several vitamins and minerals, including vitamin k, vitamin E, folate, and fiber, and it also helps regulate blood sugar.
- 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).
- Asparagus has a high water content and is a natural diuretic.
- 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
- Back in the day (like ancient times), asparagus was regarded as an aphrodisiac. Smelly pee and all. Who knew?
What You’ll Need for Roasted Asparagus
When asparagus is roasted, it caramelizes and becomes sweetly delicious. In fact, 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 steams.
Trim your asparagus. Back in the day I would bend each individual stalk of asparagus until it snapped to discard the woody stem, about one inch up from the bottom of the stalk. These days I just line them up and chop off the ends 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 Roast Asparagus
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 super fast clean up.
- Toss on your sheet. Drizzle the olive oil directly on your asparagus and season with the 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 Your Roasted Asparagus
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
Why Is My Roasted Asparagus Stringy?
Tough and stringy asparagus is caused by overcooking the asparagus and depleting it of its natural moisture. Stringy asparagus can also be attributed to the tough and fibrous ends that should always be trimmed off and discarded before cooking.
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 so 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
- Spicy Smashed Avocado & Asparagus With Dill Havarti Grilled Cheese
- 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 a rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
THE BEST Roasted Asparagus Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh asparagus , trimmed
- 1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ lemon , juiced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Place asparagus in a single layer on a baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil, coating spears evenly.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for 8-10 minutes (depending on thickness of spears) until tender.
- Squeeze with fresh lemon and serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- I use my toaster oven to save time and energy when cooking roasted asparagus.
Nutrition
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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great tips and pun intended too about asparagus, the health stuff too, guess I forgot about what exactly asparagus is good for!