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Roasted Asparagus

Dressed with oil and salt, roasted asparagus is easy elegance at its simple best.

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Roasted Asparagus seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper on a serving plate on the counter

The Best, Easiest Side Dish Ever: Oven-Roasted Asparagus

Roasting is our very favorite way to cook asparagus (and most other vegetables, for that matter!). A little olive oil, some salt and quick 10-minute roast transforms even the most so-so grocery store asparagus into a positively irresistible side dish. And did we mention how easy it is? Our roasted asparagus recipe requires really minimal prep and is the kind of thing you’ll have memorized after making it once or twice. You can snap off the bottoms with your hands—our preferred method, simply because it’s more fun—or trim the ends off with a knife. Or, if you’ve got kids or a bored spouse in the house, outsource this task to them! Asparagus makes a fabulous and simple holiday side dish, but it’s also easy enough for every day. Serve it with a big slab of roasted salmon for a crazy simple, healthy, delicious 15-minute supper, or serve it as part of a fancy schmancy dinner party menu. In fact, roasted asparagus lends itself really nicely to elaborate dinner parties, because it is so simple and it is completely delicious served at room temperature so you don’t have to make yourself too crazy with the timing of it all. Either way, roasted asparagus makes a lovely addition to your table.

raw asparagus, olive oil, salt and pepper on the counter to make roasted asparagus

Asparagus 101

Asparagus is in season in the springtime—in fact, it’s one of the very first of the spring veggies to, well, spring up!—but it’s available pretty much year-round at larger grocery stores. If you’re worried about your asparagus being a bit stringy—something that’s more likely to happen if your asparagus isn’t ultra-fresh or early season—no worries! You can take a vegetable peeler and peel off the outer layer of the bottom half of the asparagus spears, and that should do away with any potential stringiness. As for size, choosing between large or small stemmed asparagus is simply a matter of taste. Fat asparagus stalks can be just as tender and flavorful as their ultra-thin counterparts. Instead of worrying about size, shop for freshness. You want to see bunches of asparagus spears that all have a nice, bright green color, tightly closed tips and firm stems.

raw asparagus spears on the counter
raw asparagus tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper on a baking sheet

3 Ingredients to Roasted Asparagus Perfection

You’ve tracked down the very best asparagus you can get your hands on and you’re ready to try your hand at this easy roasted asparagus recipe! But wait—you forgot to see if you need any other special ingredients for it! Well, you’re in luck! This recipe is as simple as can be. Sure you could dress it up a little—drizzle it with balsamic before serving, or a dusting of parm—but we like to keep things straightforward. Not only does it make this recipe that much more approachable, but when you’ve got really good asparagus, you’ve got to let that veggie shine! Why muddy that gorgeous, vegetal sweetness with anything but the most basic, complimentary flavors? Here’s all you’ll need to make roasted asparagus:

  • Asparagus.

  • Olive oil.

  • Salt and pepper. Yes, this is two ingredients. But salt and pepper barely count, because you’ve definitely got salt and pepper, right?

roasted asparagus tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper on a baking sheet
roasted asparagus with olive oil, salt and pepper on a baking sheet

How To Roast Asparagus

This roasted asparagus recipe is so easy you could do it with your eyes closed. But you shouldn’t do that, because it involves a very hot oven. So trim your asparagus, open your eyes and let’s get roasting! Here’s how to roast asparagus:

  1. Crank that oven! Roasting means high heat—we like good old 425°F.

  2. Wash and trim your asparagus. Or, even better, enlist little helper elves.

  3. Lay the prepped asparagus spears on a baking sheet and toss them with oil, salt and pepper.

  4. Roast! They only need about 10 minutes, but keep a close eye on them! Thin spears will cook faster than thick ones. When they look tender and roasty—browning a bit at the top, but not even a little bit burned—pull them out.

roasted asparagus on a serving plate

Tools You’ll Need

More Roasted Vegetable Recipes

homemade roasted asparagus on a serving plate

Show Us Your Stuff!

We’d love to see the fruits—or in this case, veggies—of your labors! When you try our easy roasted asparagus recipe, show us how it all turned out! Share a photo and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so that we can see your stuff! Happy eating!

Roasted Asparagus

  • Serves: 6
  • Prep Time:  5 min
  • Cook Time:  10 min
  • Calories: 49

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch asparagus, about 1 1/4 lb, washed, dried thoroughly
  • 1.5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ tsp Kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp pepper Freshly cracked black

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.

  2. Trim the white woody bottoms off the asparagus. You can do this by snapping them off or cutting them off with a sharp knife.

  3. Spread out the asparagus in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet or a baking dish large enough for them to not be too crowded.

  4. Drizzle the olive oil over the asparagus and sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss until completely coated in oil and the seasoning is evenly dispersed.

  5. Roast in the oven until golden brown and tender, with a little bite to it still, about 10 minutes.

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving
  • Amount
  • Calories49
  • Protein2 g
  • Carbohydrates4 g
  • Total Fat3 g
  • Dietary Fiber2 g
  • Cholesterol0 mg
  • sodium95 mg
  • Total Sugars2 g

Roasted Asparagus

Questions & Reviews

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  • Beverly Mulligan

    The asparagus turned out great! It was perfectly cooked. Not mushy like when it's cooked in water...yuk! I served it with BBQ tri-tip and the Summer Tortellini Pasta Salad, also from this website, which is also a 5 star dish.

    Thank you os much Beverly, so glad you loved it!

  • Jenn

    Simple and perfect. I loved this asparagus!

    Thanks Jenn! We are so glad you liked it!