Roasted asparagus is one of my new favorite foods. Back when asparagus was a little more in season, I made it at least twice a week. It’s so easy and so delicious. So easy and so delicious that it hardly needs more of a description than that. That and the fact that I’m pretty tired from spending most of this evening in the lab (where I’m doing my senior thesis work) collecting E. coli cells, lysing them, and filling a tiny test tube with their DNA (to put it in somewhat understandable words). But believe me, I’d much rather think about asparagus than E. coli.
Anyway, there are endless variations to seasoning roasted asparagus. A drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt makes a lovely, simple seasoning. Or you can get a little fancier with Parmesan cheese, garlic, and lemon juice. It’s so easy to experiment! The amounts I’m giving here are just a starting point, I don’t really measure these ingredients anymore. You can also roast zucchini in a similar same way. Roasted vegetables are the perfect side dish for almost any meal.
Roasted Asparagus
1 lb or so asparagus (one bunch)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1-2 cloves minced garlic (or you can omit the salt and fresh garlic and use a teaspoon or so of garlic salt)
dash or two sea salt
dash or two ground pepper
lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray or spread a little oil on it. Toss the asparagus (washed, with the tough ends snapped off) with all the ingredients except the lemon juice. Spread the asparagus over the baking sheet in a single layer.
Bake 8-10 minutes. Check after 8 minutes–pierce one stalk with a fork to check and cook a few more minutes until the asparagus reaches your desired tenderness. (8 minutes is usually perfect for me.) Drizzle the lemon juice over the asparagus when it’s done.
Much Ado About Pie 
Yum – I need to do this with some of the huge zucchini you Dad picked last night!
When Ronnie and I were camping for my birthday we roasted asparagus in the campfire, wrapped in tin foil and topped with butter and salt. It was delicious!
Mmm that does sound really good!! I’m going camping this weekend and I think I’m going to cook some corn like that!