Roasted Asparagus

If you are wondering the best way to make roasted asparagus without it turning mushy, limp and watery you are in the right place! I am going to show you how to roast asparagus and a simple way of jazzing it up with just a couple simple ingredients.

Step-By-Step Instructions

You will need a large rimmed baking sheet for this recipe. I like to use a “half sheet” pan for roasting vegetables.

What is the best oven temperature for roasting asparagus?

One of the keys to great texture is to get the oven hot before you begin. We recommend using a 450-degree oven (232 C) to roast asparagus, so it is important to preheat before adding the pan of asparagus. This will brown the asparagus quickly as opposed to letting it heat more gradually in a cooler oven. If you heat the asparagus too slowly, the asparagus will be cooked through before it browns.

Asparagus is relatively low in sugars so it doesn’t brown as easily as carrots or parsnips. I mention this because in my recipe for roasted parsnips, I use a cooler oven, as is the case in my Roasted Carrots and Onions recipe which are also high in sugars and would brown too fast before softening all the way through.

Prepare the Asparagus

While the oven is preheating, the first thing you need to do is prepare the asparagus. Rinse and dry the asparagus. Discard any yellowed or wrinkled spears.

The bottom third or so of the asparagus stalk are often quite fibrous and pithy so this needs to be removed.

To find the area of the stalk where it transitions from hard and unpleasant to tender, bend it in half and allow them to break naturally.

Discard the bottoms, and use only the tender upper portion of the asparagus stalks.

Add Seasoning and Arrange In The Pan

Ratio Of Ingredients: For basic roasted asparagus I use the following formula: 2 bunches of asparagus to 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt and pepper to taste. This is the perfect amount to fill one pan without overcrowding.

Why Use Oil: It is important for the oil to coat the asparagus because this is what causes them to brown in the hot oven. It also keeps them moist and prevents them from drying out.

How To Season: Spread the asparagus on the sheet pan, drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Then use your hands to toss them together to allow the oil and seasoning to coat the spears.

Overcrowding causes the vegetables to steam instead of brown, and the asparagus will get too soft before it browns. Spread the spears out side by side so they don’t touch or overlap. I usually run some laterally along the top so everything fits better.

How Long To Bake Asparagus

If you have thin asparagus spears they will cook faster than fatter and thicker spears so there is quite a range of cooking time. In general, for thinner spears, it takes 8 minutes to roast asparagus and for thicker asparagus up to 15 minutes.

Thin Spears

Spread them out into a single layer. If they take up too much space, feel free to use two sheet pans.

Roast them for four minutes. Use tongs to flip them over and then continue roasting for four more minutes on their second side. If you have some of the really really thin spears that are occasionally available, they may need even less time!

Test to see if they are tender and add on a couple of minutes if they are still pretty crisp.

Thick Spears

For fatter asparagus stalks, you will need a little bit more time. I found 7 minutes per side was perfect for average sized asparagus, and thick stalks can take even more.

Flipping and Stirring Vs Not

I should mention that it is not 100% necessary to flip asparagus when you roast it. It is so fast that it won’t really matter too much to the final product.

If you find this too cumbersome, you can skip it all together because it can actually prevent them from browning well if it takes you too long. That’s because the heat escapes out of the oven and they will start to steam. Moisture from steaming will inhibit the browning, so it’s best to avoid that!

I usually just do a quick little roll, and some of them roll some don’t. It will all work out.

To Finish and Serve

Once the asparagus comes out of the oven, it is ready to be eaten. You can enjoy it hot or room temperature. As I mentioned before, this is just a basic recipe for roasted asparagus. You can eat it just the way it is, or you can use one of the flavor combos I mentioned here. Today I used lemon and herbs, because they are delicious, springy and add flavor without additional calories.

Make sure to remove the asparagus from the pan and transfer it to serving plates or a platter before you add anything acidic. Because aluminum is reactive, it should not come in contact with ingredients like vinaigrette, hollandaise or lemon.

More Asparagus Recipes

• Fire up the grill and make Grilled Asparagus this spring. It is simple and can’t be beat! It’s low carb, low calorie and vegan!
• This Shaved Asparagus Salad with goat cheese and hazelnuts is an unexpected spring salad.
• Our Asparagus Pizza with pesto can be made with or without proscuitto.
• This Asparagus Panzanella is a non-traditional bread salad, and topped with a poached egg makes a delicious spring brunch or supper.
• This Asparagus with Tarragon Vinaigrette is a great way to use chilled cooked asparagus.
• Add it to rice and chicken and you have a great one pot meal! Try my One Pot Chicken and Rice with Spring Veggies.
• Our Asparagus Orzo and this Shrimp and Asparagus Pasta are two of our most recent asparagus recipes.
• My guide to asparagus contains a full list of recipes.
• Make sure to check out this collection of 35 healthy asparagus recipes too!

At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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