This is a super quick and easy dish that takes minutes to assemble and delivers great flavor. Asparagus is beautiful and inexpensive right now. Look for tight, shiny heads and plump, smooth stalks. To trim, grasp the stalk towards the bottom third. Gently bend the stalk–it will break at the exact point that the stalk becomes tough and woody. Discard the lower portion. I’ve been finding a lot of sandy asparagus lately, so I’d recommend a 5 minute soak in cold water before using. Then spread your asparagus out on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, the zest of one lemon and a tablespoon of fresh, chopped thyme. Bake for 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the asparagus. Start poking and prodding at 10 minutes. The bottom of the stalk should feel like the tip of your finger if you squeeze it–still firm but with some give. While the asparagus has been roasting, the lemon zest and herbs have crisped up into crunchy, delicious little bits.
Ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks ate asparagus and extolled its health properties. Asparagus is high in fiber, vitamin A and C, iron and folic acid. It is also anti-inflammatory and possibly anti-carcinogenic–so this is good stuff. It might make your pee smell funny. Seriously, it’s true, but so what? This is a powerfully healthy and delicious dish that even the world’s most vegetable adverse six year old will eat.
| Roasted Asparagus with Lemon and Thyme |
- 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and soaked
- 1 TBLS olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, ground
- 1 TBLS fresh thyme, chopped
- zest of one lemon
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Lay the asparagus out on a sheet pan.
- Drizzle with the olive oil, the sprinkle the salt, pepper, thyme and lemon zest over the top.
- Roast for 10-15 minutes, until the stalks are barely tender.
this is one of our very favorite thing to do with asparagus!