Easy Oven Roasted Asparagus

Easy oven roasted asparagus, a simple side dish that makes the very best of this seasonal springtime vegetable. This recipe uses only 2 ingredients, fresh asparagus and some good quality olive oil and of course some seasoning. It is a simple cook, but roasting really brings out the flavor.

My easy oven roasted asparagus is a side dish that appears at least once a week on my family dinner table. Roasting the asparagus really brings out the flavour of this vegetable, you want to cook it just long enough for the edges to catch a little.

There are two vegetables than announce the arrival of Spring. The first is new season asparagus and the second Jersey royal potatoes. They also happen to be two of my favourite vegetables and I like to make the most of their relatively short harvest.

Of course you can buy asparagus all year round these days, but none will taste better than the new season asparagus grown close to home.

These green spears work beautifully with salty or dairy rich ingredients, douse asparagus in salty, melted butter and you will know exactly what I mean . Dip the spears into a poached egg or freshly made hollandaise sauce and you have perfection on a plate right there!

Asparagus also pairs really well with oily fish and oven roasted salmon and asparagus feature regularly on my families dinner table. These dishes are both quick to prepare and cook on separate trays in the same oven.

How to prepare asparagus?

When preparing asparagus, you need to remove the woody part at the base of the spear. This can be done in one of two ways.

1. You can either cut the woody part off with a sharp knife, approximately 2.5cm from the base. This method will give you spears that are uniform in length.
2. Or hold the spear in both hands and gently bend the stem. The spear will naturally snap at the fibrous, woody part of the stem and you can discard it.

Some recipes suggest paring the asparagus spears before cooking, however this is not necessary. Aside from taking time, it gets rid of too much of the vegetable.

Easy oven roasted asparagus - recipe steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200C/180CFan.
• Wash and trim the asparagus spears and pat dry on some kitchen paper.

• Place the asparagus in a bowl, drizzle over the olive oil and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Mix to coat.

• Place the asparagus in a single layer on a baking sheet and pop into the oven to roast for 12-15 minutes, removing the tray for the oven half way through to turn the asparagus over.
• Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

How to cook with asparagus?

Asparagus is a really versatile vegetable and be eaten either raw or cooked. Steamed, boiled, roasted, sauted, sliced raw into salads, this is a vegetable I enjoy eating in a variety of different ways as it can be so much more than just a side dish!

Asparagus pairs well with salty flavours like pancetta and with other fresh vibrant vegetables like garden peas in our Bulgur Wheat Risotto with Asparagus, Peas and Pancetta.

One of my favourite springtime meals pairs asparagus with chicken and those new season Jersey Royals I was mentioning earlier. This Warm Chicken & Asparagus Salad is a must try dish.

Recipe substitutions and variations:

• Asparagus is a wonderful strong flavoured vegetable, not dissimilar in taste to broccoli. In fact you could roast broccoli using this same method.
• Olive oil and some salt and pepper are all that is needed to roast asparagus in the oven. We have kept this recipe simple so that you can add other flavours as you see fit.
• Hard cheese pairs really well with asparagus. You can either grate over some Parmesan over the asparagus before it goes into the oven or grate some over the roasted asparagus just before serving.
• Crumbly goats cheese or another crumbly cheese like feta, white stilton or Wensleydale can be crumbled over this side dish just before serving.
• Lemon zest grated over the asparagus just before serving adds a beautiful, zesty burst of freshness. Lemon works really well with grated Parmesan for a real flavour explosion.
• Chilli flakes could be added to the asparagus just before roasting in the oven to add a little spice to the dish.
• Garden peas pair really well with asparagus. I often steam some peas separately and stir these through the roasted asparagus spears once they come out of the oven, just before serving.

How to serve asparagus?

This versatile side dish uses the most simple of flavours, which means you can serve it alongside a variety of main dishes. Here are some suggestions:

• Oven Baked Salmon with Parma Ham and Thyme
• Creamy Tarragon Chicken Breast
• Italian Style Chicken with Ham & Parmesan
• Roast Pork Tenderloin wrapped in Bacon

Recipe hints & tips

1. To keep asparagus fresh and at its best store it upright in a container with a little water in the bottom and place it in the fridge. Kept like this your asparagus will store longer.
2. This is not a great make ahead dish as the asparagus will overcook if reheated. Instead prepare it fresh and serve is as soon as it has come out of the oven.
3. Containing no dairy this side dish is suitable for Vegan diners.
4. Allergy advice: gluten free, dairy free, egg free and nut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.

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Additional recipe suggestions

If you like this recipe then try some of my other great tasting side dishes:

• Easy Hasselback Potatoes with Thyme Butter
• Gluten Free Cauliflower Cheese
• Balsamic Roasted Vine Tomatoes
• Warm Potato Salad with Wild Garlic
• Warm Vegan Potato Salad
• Savoy Cabbage with Bacon & Apple

For all my favourite vegetable recipes in one place, check our my 12 Best Vegetable Side Dishes post.