This is an easy and elegant way to serve asparagus while it is in season. The slightly nutty flavor after roasting provides the asparagus with a rich and robust zest.
Ingredients
1 lb asparagus
1½ tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt (or ¼ teaspoon regular table salt)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Cut off the woody bottom part of the asparagus spears and discard.
With a vegetable peeler, peel off the skin on the bottom 2-3 inches of the spears (this keeps the asparagus from being all "stringy" and if you eat asparagus you know what I mean by that).
Place asparagus on foil-lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
Sprinkle with salt.
With your hands, roll the asparagus around until they are evenly coated with oil and salt.
Roast for 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your stalks and how tender you like them.
They should be tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.
The tips of the spears will get very brown but watch them to prevent burning.
They are great plain, but sometimes I serve them with a light vinaigrette if we need something acidic to balance out our meal.
