Roasted Asparagus with Lemon

Roasted Asparagus with Lemon is my favorite side dish of spring!  A quick drizzle of olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and it’s ready for the oven….whoops…I just gave you the whole recipe!

This recipe was first published in September 2012.

Roasted Asparagus with Lemon

Warm weather is here and we are in full swing on the asparagus consumption!  It is my go to green veggie this time of year—have you seen my braised asparagus taco recipe?  We eat it just about every week of spring until we think we’re about to be sick of it…..and then the season is abruptly over!  My favorite way to prepare asparagus is to give it a quick roast under high heat, and it comes together in just a few minutes!  A quick drizzle of olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and it’s ready for the oven….whoops…I just gave you the whole recipe!

Benefits of Asparagus

Asparagus is packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber.  It’s great at flushing your body of excess salt, and fights bloating.  Some even say that asparagus is a natural aphrodisiac.  Are you ready to jump on the asparagus train?  Read more here.

Bend and Snap

To prepare asparagus you need to trim off their woody ends.  Side note—have you seen asparagus growing?  It’s a little bit extra terrestrial looking.  Anyway…..I like to gently bend one stalk from the root end until it snaps.  Then I use that as a guide to trim the rest of the bundle.  Easy peasy….er….asparagusy?

Kid Favorite

Want to know the secret to getting your kids to like asparagus?  Um….stinky pee.  Yep.  I said it.  Something about the way our bodies break it down results in giving off a sulfur containing compound which….well…..stinks!  So if you need to bribe your kiddos to eat their veggies, this might be your most convenient argument!  And now on to more pleasant topics…..

Warm Weather Staple

Roasted asparagus is quick and easy to make!  It pairs perfectly with so many warm weather foods, like pesto, balsamic bean salad, or watermelon gazpacho.  You can broil it or roast it at a high temp—whatever seems to work best in your oven!  After many years of baking in our old house with what I affectionately called my “easy bake oven,” which broiled foods to a crisp in 0.32 seconds, I now have a nice grown up oven.  I’m realizing how different the broilers are.  My new oven takes much longer to broil—which I think is a good thing, as I don’t burn things so easily!  So for this asparagus I just broil it at a high temp— 450°—for 8-12 minutes, or until the asparagus is fork tender.

Ready to make a delicious side dish?  You’re going to love this Roasted Asparagus with Lemon!  Snap a quick pic and post it on social media so that I can see it!  {#frieddandelions // @frieddandelions}

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5 from 1 vote

Roasted Asparagus with Lemon

Roasted Asparagus with Lemon is my favorite side dish of spring!  A quick drizzle of olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and it's ready for the oven….whoops…I just gave you the whole recipe!

Ingredients

• 1 bundle asparagus
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 450°.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Wash and trim asparagus.
• Place asparagus on prepared baking sheet.
• Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Use hands to toss and coat all asparagus.
• Place in oven and roast for 8-12 minutes, keeping a close eye on the asparagus.  Tips will brown just a tiny bit and the stalks will stay bright green, and be easily pierced with a fork.
• Enjoy!