Homemade Staples: Roasted Asparagus

Sometimes simple is best.  Sauces and intricate recipes can be fun and challenging.  They can expose you to different flavor combinations that you would never dream of being so exciting.  But sometimes, the most mouth-watering of recipes is when the preparation does nothing more than enhance the natural state of the food in question.

Our favorite way to prepare asparagus is to just simply roast it in the oven with nothing more than olive oil, cracked pepper, kosher salt, and a bit of squeezed lemon.  The lemon brings out the flavors of the asparagus and the result is a delicious and easy dish that can be enjoyed on countless nights.

Roasted Asparagus

• Asparagus,  ends trimmed
• drizzle of olive oil
• cracked black pepper (to taste)
• kosher salt (to taste)
• 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Trim and place asparagus in the pan you’re going to use in the oven.  I tend to favor a jelly pan or rectangular cake pan.

Drizzle the asparagus with olive oil and toss with a spoon to coat.  Sprinkle on pepper and salt to taste and toss to coat.

Cut lemon and squeeze juice over the asparagus.

Put on the top shelve of the oven and roast for 7-10 minutes.  Take out and stir.  Place back in the oven for another 7-10 minutes or until cooked through.  They should still hold firmness though and not be soft and soggy.

Enjoy.