Roasting asparagus as a side dish has saved so many of my dinners when I have been short on time. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes to cook, most of which is hands-off oven roasting time. The asparagus goes well with many dishes, such as my sticky Asian chicken thighs, butternut squash mac and cheese, or teriyaki tofu. It is truly a versatile side dish!
HOW TO ROAST ASPARAGUS
The one thing I’m very particular about is the texture of roasted asparagus. I don’t like stringy or overly soft spears. I want them tender but also toothsome with a gentle crisp. Here are the keys to getting asparagus with the right texture: (1) pick a good bunch of asparagus; (2) snap off the woody ends; and (3) don’t overcook.
SELECTING ASPARAGUS
The first and most important step is selecting good asparagus at the store. When picking between bunches of asparagus, I pay attention to 2 things: the bottom and the tips of the asparagus.
The bottom of the stalks tell us a lot about the freshness of the asparagus. Avoid bunches where the spears look dry or shriveled at the bottom. That’s a sign they are past their prime. Make sure the skin is pretty smooth throughout the spears.
Next, I look at the tips. Make sure that they are nice and tight with no dark wet spots. The wet spots are often signs that the asparagus is starting to spoil.
In terms of size, I tend not to like spears that are pencil thin or super thick. Just like Goldilocks, I prefer the thickness of the spears to be somewhere in the middle (about 1/2 inch thick, see photo above, middle). These spears just have the right amount of toothsome texture once they’re cooked. Of course, this is just my personal preference; feel free to buy whatever is available or what you prefer.
TRIMMING THE ASPARAGUS
Unless you are cooking asparagus that was harvested just a day or two before, you should trim the bottoms of each spear. Asparagus tends to get more dry, stringy and tough the lower down the spear.
You can trim the asparagus 2 ways: snap them or slice them off with a knife. When you snap the spear, hold onto the bottom of the spear with your hands and lightly bend the spear. If the spear is very bendy and just won’t snap at that point, move up the spear by about a 1/2 inch and try snapping again. Asparagus naturally snaps at the point when it starts to get tough and they can vary between each spear (see photo below).
While slicing the bottoms of several spears at a time is slightly quicker, you might not slice each spear at the optimal point (i.e., you may slice too much or too little of the drier bottom part).
ROASTING ASPARAGUS
If you look up roasted asparagus recipes, you’ll find there are a lot of variations in terms of oven temperature and cooking time. In general, I roast asparagus at 400ºF (205ºC) because the number is easy to remember and it’s a good temperature to maintain if I’m cooking something else in the oven.
Right before I put the asparagus into the oven, I season them with just olive oil, salt, and pepper. Keep things simple at this stage. For medium-thick spears (about 1/2 inch thick), roast them for 8 to 9 minutes. If you are roasting thicker spears, leave them in the oven slightly longer, about 11 to 13 minutes. For pencil-thin spears, 7 to 8 minutes should be enough.
MORE WAYS TO ENJOY ASPARAGUS
- Chili Crisp and Garlic Roasted Asparagus
- Dry Coppa Wrapped Asparagus
- Chili and Garlic Stir Fried Brussels Sprouts with Asparagus
- serve the asparagus with ricotta mixed with lemon zest and chives (this is inspired by the Roasted Broccolini recipe from Nights & Weekends, affiliate link)
How to Roast Asparagus
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You can toss the roasted asparagus with lemon zest, like I’ve outlined in the directions, or top with a mound of freshly grated parmesan, or sautéed garlic and chili crisp. I also like serving it with ricotta mixed with lemon zest and chives. See notes for further directions.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of asparagus (about 1 pound/455g) medium thickness
- drizzle of olive oil about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons
- good pinch of salt about 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- pinch of black pepper
- zest from 1 lemon about 1 1/2 teaspoons
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400ºF (205ºC). Position an oven rack to the center position.
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Rinse the asparagus and pat dry with a cloth.
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Snap off the ends of the asparagus. Hold onto the bottom of the spear with your hands and lightly bend the spear. If the spear is very bendy and won’t snap at that point, move up the spear by about a 1/2 inch and try snapping again. Asparagus naturally snaps at the point when it starts to get tough and they can vary between each spear. (You can also trim the bottoms by slicing them off.)
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Transfer the asparagus to a large sheet pan.
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Drizzle the olive oil over the asparagus. Rub and roll the spears over the baking sheet so that they are covered with oil. Add a small splash of oil if there wasn’t enough to coat the asparagus. Spread the spears over the sheet pan into a single layer, making sure they’re not tightly packed together.
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Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the asparagus. Transfer the sheet pan into the oven. For pencil thin spears (about 1/4-inch thick), roast them for 7 to 8 minutes. Medium-thick spears (1/2 inch thick) will take about 8 to 9 minutes. Thicker ones (closer to 3/4-inch thick or more) will take about 11 to 13 minutes of roasting.
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Take the asparagus out of the oven and sprinkle the lemon zest on top. Use a spatula to gently toss the asparagus with the lemon zest. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Ricotta & Lemon Zest Mixture: In a bowl, mix together 2/3 cup part-skim ricotta, zest from 1 lemon, and 1 tablespoon of finely chopped chives. Spread the lemon ricotta over a serving plate and top with the roasted asparagus. Sprinkle more salt and chopped chives on top, if desired.
Nutrition
Note: This post was originally published in March 2014. It was one of my first recipes on this site and desperately needed a makeover. I’ve edited it in 2021 and 2026 to simplify the recipe, add more flavor variations, and a video!
The post How to Roast Asparagus appeared first on Healthy Nibbles by Lisa Lin.