I always look forward to grilling season. I love that you know summer is coming soon when you can smell what your neighbors are having for dinner because they decided to fire up the grill for the first time of the season. Of course, we are different in the fact that we grill all year round. My husband has been known to shovel the snow off of the grill to place a marinated flank steak inside. I love grilled food, but the meat comes in second to the stars of my grill-the vegetables! I just love that smoky flavor the grill gives peppers and onions, the crispness of the zucchini, the sweetness of the corn. We were on a kick of grilling asparagus last summer and we would skewer it, drizzle it with olive oil, salt and pepper and let it grill until it was browned and crispy. YUM.
During the times of the year where the grill is not as easily accessible, I still craved that delicious asparagus. I kept trying different cooking methods indoors, but never quite got the same results. One day, I was complaining to my friend Vickie and she confessed her love of the browned, crispy asparagus as well. I told her I couldn’t get it right and she shared her method. I tried it and success was found (cue “Hallelujah!”). It is a foolproof technique for getting the perfect asparagus every time! Thanks Vickie! 🙂
Perfect Roasted Asparagus
1 bunch of thick asparagus
2-3 tblsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
The bottoms of asparagus are tough to eat and not flavorful. Take one of your stalks, and bend it. They say it will break right where the good flavor starts. Discard bottom. Break or cut remainder of stalks and rinse under cold water. Pat dry. Place on parchment covered or lightly sprayed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until asparagus is crisp tender and browned and crispy at the edges. Do not overcook!
*Note: If asparagus is especially thin, decrease cooking time to 15-20 minutes and watch carefully.
Leave a Reply