Perfect Roasted Asparagus

This perfect roasted asparagus is the simple side dish you've been looking for. It checks all the boxes: it's healthy, a little bit crunchy, a little bit crispy, and is SUPER easy to prepare, with minimal ingredients and babysitting.

In most parts of the US, asparagus season is February to June, peaking in April. So this roasted asparagus is a fantastic spring side! It's also a light partner for rich meals around the holidays.

Looking for more holiday sides? These vegan mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy are to die for. Have some extra roasted asparagus? Add to this simple vegetable risotto or spring pesto pasta.

📋 Ingredients

We don't need many ingredients to make wonderfully crispy roasted asparagus. In fact, most of these are probably in your kitchen already!

• green asparagus spears
• salt and pepper
• cooking oil (such as grapeseed)
• garlic
• lemon (optional)

🔀 Substitutions

This perfect roasted asparagus recipe is naturally vegan, plant-based, gluten-free and dairy-free.

If you're oil-free, I recommend steaming asparagus. To steam asparagus, place a half inch of water into a wide-bottomed, flat pan and bring to a simmer. Place asparagus into pan and cover with a lid for 5-7 minutes. Serve bright green asparagus with salt, pepper, and a spritz of lemon juice.

🔀 Variations

While this roasted asparagus is simple, there are a few variations if you're feeling adventurous (or have kids):

• Extra rich - replace the oil with butter or vegan butter
• Spicy - toast red pepper flakes with black pepper grounds
• Cheesy - top roasted asparagus with Parmesan before serving. Violife has a great vegan Parmesan block that grates like dairy Parmesean.
• Kid friendly - leave out the garlic and lemon, go a little lighter on the pepper

🔪 How To Make This Recipe

First, preheat the oven to 400 F.

Now wash asparagus and remove the thick fibrous bottom with a chef's knife. We want the size of our spears to be consistent so they cook evenly.

Then place spears into a bowl of ice water for 5-10 minutes. This will help our asparagus stay crispy when we bake instead of becoming soggy.

Meanwhile, place a frying pan on a burner over medium heat. Toast coarse pepper flakes for 1-2 minutes, then add oil and minced garlic. Fry for 1-2 minutes then remove from heat.

Pat asparagus dry and place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Next, pour seasoned oil over the asparagus spears and gently mix using your hands.

Finally, bake for 10-20 minutes, flipping halfway through. When asparagus is done, it will be bright green or slightly yellow green, and the tips may be start to brown.

To serve, top with salt and a spritz of lemon juice as desired. Serve right away for crispiest, crunchiest asparagus.

Hint: add salt when ready to serve instead of earlier in the process. Salt extracts water from food, which will make your asparagus soggy if it sits for too long.

Equipment

To make this perfect roasted asparagus, you'll need a few key pieces of equipment:

• Cutting board & chef's knife
• Garlic press (optional) - you can also mince with a chef's knife, but this is easy and leaves my hands smelling less garlic-y
• Large mixing bowl for ice water
• Small frying pan & utensil for lightly stirring
• Sheet pan lined with parchment paper for easy clean-up.

Perfect Roasted Asparagus

Angela Milnes

Experience the simple elegance of Perfect Roasted Asparagus, where each spear is crisply tender and bursting with flavor. Ideal as a side dish or a healthy snack, this recipe brings out the best in a classic vegetable.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

0 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Sides

Cuisine American

Servings 4 Servings

Calories 79 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 Bunches Asparagus
• 1 teaspoon Coarse Black Pepper
• 1 Clove Garlic Optional
• 1-2 tablespoon Cooking Oil Such as grapeseed
• Salt To Taste
• 1 Lemon Sliced Into Lemons

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 400 F. Remove the tough bottom third of asparagus stems, then place the heads into a bowl of ice water for 5-10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toast pepper in a sauté pan on medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Add oil and garlic, then sautée for another 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. 
• Pat asparagus dry and place onto a lined baking sheet. Pour pepper, oil and garlic mixture over asparagus and gently mix with your hands. 
• Bake at 400 F for 15-20 minutes. When finished, the tips of the asparagus will be slightly crispy. Let cool for 5 minutes, then sprinkle lightly with salt and a spritz of lemon juice before serving.

Notes

For evenly cooked asparagus, line up the stalks and trim off the tough, woody ends. A quick way to find where to cut is by bending one spear until it snaps; it naturally breaks where the tender part starts and the tough part ends. Use this spear as a guide to trim the rest for perfectly prepped asparagus every time!

Nutrition

Calories: 79kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 5gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 0.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.01gSodium: 5mgPotassium: 464mgFiber: 5gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1704IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 58mgIron: 5mg

Keyword crispy roasted asparagus, roasted asparagus, vegan roasted asparagus

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