The Best Roasted Asparagus Recipe (in Just 4 Ingredients!)

The best roasted asparagus recipe couldn’t be more simple. Just 4 ingredients, and you’re done! This dish is so simple, it hardly qualifies as a recipe. But it’s my go-to asparagus method and it’s the one that friends and family always request whenever I serve it. If a green vegetable can come close to tasting something like […]

By Amy Traverso

May 05 2016

Arrange the spears so they’re not all bunched in the center of the sheet.

Photo Credit : Amy Traverso

The best roasted asparagus recipe couldn’t be more simple. Just 4 ingredients, and you’re done!

This dish is so simple, it hardly qualifies as a recipe. But it’s my go-to asparagus method and it’s the one that friends and family always request whenever I serve it. If a green vegetable can come close to tasting something like french fries, I swear this one is it.

Crisp at the edges, tender in the center — Our take on the best roasted asparagus recipe yields asparagus spears that are crisp at the edges, and tender in the center.
*Photo Credit : Amy Traverso*

Here’s how to make the best roasted asparagus recipe in step-by-step photos. We start with a bunch of asparagus (roughly 1 lb.). The stalks I have here are fairly thin. Slightly thicker ones are actually preferable, but you’re fine either way. Trim off the woody ends of each stalk.

Once trimmed, your asparagus bunch will weigh 12 to 14 ounces or so.
*Photo Credit : Amy Traverso*

Preheat your oven to 400º and set a rack to the middle position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, shiny side up. Now comes the ingredients list. Ready? Here it is: Olive oil, salt, and pepper. Yep, that’s it. Arrange the asparagus on the lined baking sheet and drizzle with 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil.

Drizzle just enough to lightly coat each stalk, 2 to 3 tablespoons total. — Drizzle just enough to lightly coat each stalk.
*Photo Credit : Amy Traverso*

Now sprinkle with a heaping 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Use your hands to roll the asparagus around in the oil, salt, and pepper.

Olive oil helps the asparagus develop browned, crisp tips.
*Photo Credit : Amy Traverso*

To maximize air circulation and encourage browning, stagger the asparagus spears on the sheet.

Arrange the spears so they're not all bunched in the center of the sheet. — Arrange the spears so they’re not all bunched in the center.
*Photo Credit : Amy Traverso*

Now roast the asparagus until the spears are tender and the tips are browned and sizzling, 12 to 16 minutes, depending on the thickness of the spears. That’s it! Our take on the best roasted asparagus recipe. You can serve it as is, but I have a few favorite go-to garnishes that add an extra layer of flavor.

Clockwise from top left: Lemon zest; grated Parmesan cheese, chopped boiled egg, pickled shallots (see recipe below) — Clockwise from top left: Lemon zest; grated Parmesan cheese, chopped boiled egg, pickled shallots*
*Photo Credit : Amy Traverso*

*To make pickled shallots: Mince 1 shallot and place in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of mild vinegar (Champagne, sherry, and rice vinegars all work well). Add 1/4 teaspoon of table sugar and kosher salt. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.

Amy Traverso

Amy Traverso is the senior food editor at Yankee magazine and co-host of the public television series Weekends with Yankee, a coproduction with WGBH. Previously, she was food editor at Boston magazine and an associate food editor at Sunset magazine. Her work has also been published in The Boston Globe, Saveur, and Travel & Leisure, and she has appeared on Hallmark Home & Family, The Martha Stewart Show, Throwdown with Bobby Flay, and Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. Amy is the author of The Apple Lover’s Cookbook, which was a finalist for the Julia Child Award for best first-time author and won an IACP Cookbook Award in the “American” category.

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