This oven-roasted asparagus recipe is an easy, delicious spring side dish. The sticks are tender, juicy and aromatic. Ready in 15 minutes!
Roasted asparagus is the best spring side dish! Ready in 15 minutes, very easy to prepare. Simply cut off the woody ends of the asparagus, toss it with olive oil, salt and pepper and pop it in the oven.
Roasted asparagus also tastes delicious. The spears are juicy and tender (NOT stringy or mushy) and their tips are browned and crispy.
I could happily eat oven-roasted asparagus straight from the baking sheet. But I love it even more when I season it with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, a rich sauce or spicy accompaniments.
Below I share my easy roasted asparagus recipe, along with my favorite spice ideas. I’ll be making it a lot this season, and I hope you will too!
Roasted Asparagus Recipe Ingredients
For the perfect roasted asparagus you only need 5 ingredients:
- asparagus, Naturally! I like to roast spears that range in size from medium to thick. Because they are not too thin, they will not become thin when baked.
- Extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and fresh black pepper – The most important thing for roasting!
- Fresh lemon juice – Squeeze it over the roasted asparagus for a bright flavor.
The full recipe with measurements is below.
How to Roast Asparagus
My method for roasting asparagus is super easy! That is how it goes:
First, cut the asparagus. Have you ever eaten a piece of asparagus and found yourself chewing…and chewing…and chewing? Chances are, you’ve bitten into the hard, woody end of a spear. These thick ends are too fibrous to eat, so you should always cut them off before cooking asparagus.
How to cut asparagus
You can cut asparagus in two ways:
1. With a knife. Lay the asparagus spears flat on a cutting board with the tips facing the same direction. Trim off 1 to 3 inches of the thick ends and trim the asparagus where it goes from thick and woody to juicy and crispy.
2. By hand. Hold an asparagus spear by the thick end and gently bend it until it breaks. It breaks off naturally where the tough, woody part of the stem ends. Repeat the process with the remaining spears and you’re ready to go!
Next, season it. Transfer the asparagus to a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and toss to combine.
Arrange the asparagus in a single layer on the baking sheet. If the bars are crowded together or overlapping each other, they will steam in the oven and will not brown and crisp when baked.
Finally bake! Place the tray in an oven preheated to 200°C and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the bars are slightly crispy and tender. Squeeze the roasted asparagus with fresh lemon juice and serve.
This is how you season asparagus
I love oven roasted asparagus seasoned simply with olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh lemon juice. But it also tastes delicious with other toppings and spices!
Feel free to experiment. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Sprinkle with a few tablespoons of feta or freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
- Top with toasted nuts like almonds or pine nuts.
- Drizzle with dill sauce, green goddess dressing or a balsamic vinegar reduction.
- Sprinkle with chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, dill and/or mint.
- Mix with lemon zest, red pepper flakes or finely grated garlic.
Serve the oven-roasted asparagus with any protein or pair it with a spring dish like my pesto pasta or spinach quiche.
How to store roasted asparagus
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They last up to 3 days.
Heat them in the microwave for a quick vegetable side dish or add them to a pasta, frittata or omelet!
More easy asparagus recipes
If you love this oven-roasted asparagus, try one of these easy asparagus recipes next:
Want to learn how to roast more vegetables? Try my Roasted Broccoli, Roasted Cauliflower, or Roasted Brussels Sprouts recipe!
Roasted asparagus
Serves 2 to 4
This roasted asparagus recipe is easy and delicious! Ready in just 15 minutes, a perfect spring side dish. Simply season with salt, pepper and lemon juice or try one of the serving suggestions in the blog post above.
- 1 a bunch of asparagus, woody ends trimmed
- Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Lemon slices, for squeezing
Prevent your screen from going dark
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Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
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Drizzle the asparagus spears with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and spread evenly on the baking tray. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until slightly crisp and tender. Squeeze with lemon juice and serve.