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Ten spears of asparagus seasoned with salt and pepper and arranged in a row on a baking sheet.
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5 / 2 votes

Roasted Asparagus

The timing here depends on how thick the asparagus are—they can be pencil thin or super thick. Just pierce them with a knife; when it goes in easily, they’re ready to be broiled to get some nice, brown color.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Sides
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 51

Ingredients

  • 2 bunches (2 lbs) asparagus, ends trimmed*
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Kosher salt, to taste

Instructions

  • Position an oven rack about 6 inches from the broiler and preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C).
  • Place the asparagus in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil and turn the spears to coat them evenly. Sprinkle the single layer of asparagus with a pinch or two of salt.
  • Roast until the spears are tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, 8 to 10 minutes for medium spears. (If you're roasting skinny spring asparagus whose spears are no wider in diameter than a pencil, best to check the spears after about 4 minutes. If you're stuck with whoppingly thick spears, let 'em go for at least 12 minutes, maybe more.)
  • Leave the asparagus in the oven and turn the broiler to high. Broil until the asparagus is lightly browned in spots, 3 to 4 minutes. Watch it carefully so the asparagus doesn’t burn. Serve immediately.

Notes

*What is the best way to trim asparagus?

There is the tried and true method for those slender spears—the bend and snap. If this is the way that you choose to go, we're not going to argue. Look, some of us still do that and feel great about it so we're not going to throw any shade your way. However...have you ever thought that maybe that way is a little inefficient? If you take a look at your stalks, you can see where the rough part starts (where the stem starts to fade to white) and just chop that off, all at once. The bend and snap takes longer and you might find that you're wasting some of the spring deliciousness you've been waiting for. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 51kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 3mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g