This perfectly lemon roasted asparagus with delicious caramelized brown spots and a crisp and tender texture is ready for a bright and light side dish in just 10 minutes.
Asparagus season usually starts around late February until June, but luckily, it is always available all year round.
What I love about asparagus is the ease of cooking. I can have asparagus every day, cooked in different ways, add a different flavour and thus it feels I'm not eating the same asparagus over and over. Furthermore, what makes it the winner, no matter what method you want to use- asparagus cooks quickly.
This lemon roasted asparagus recipe goes well with this black rice risotto with lemony shrimp on this site, or serve with 13 minutes baked lemon-garlic shrimp as a side dish for a bright and light meal.
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What is asparagus?
What is asparagus anyways? As we can see asparagus are available every day at the grocery store and I guarantee most of you have cooked it, tasted it and some of you might not like it; especially when you wake up in the morning and do your first routine in the bathroom - I guess some of you might have regretted eating this beautiful, green spears of asparagus.
Asparagus has a distinct, strong assertive taste with a hint of bitter undertones. However, I would relate raw asparagus with a similar taste to green beans and broccoli. Bake this asparagus and enhance it with lemon zest or juice and it tastes like green beans
Ingredients
Here is the round-up of ingredients you will need: make it simple and yet delicious. See the recipe card for the exact measurement.
- Asparagus
- Olive oil
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Lemon zest and juice
- chopped parsley
Instructions
- Prep
Wash, dry and snap the woody parts of the asparagus.
2. Roast
Place the asparagus on a baking sheet and coat with a good splash of olive oil. Arrange in a single layer, dust with salt and a few grinds of pepper on top and roast in the hot oven. Don't go away, as it will cook fast. Once cooked, the asparagus should have turned from vibrant green to dull olive with caramelized brown spots and still crisp but tender.
3. Add the flavor enhancer
This lemon roasted asparagus got its bright and refreshing flavour from the lemon juice and lemon zest - the secret ingredient that makes everything taste better. Be aware, If you are serving the roasted asparagus immediately right from the oven, give a good squeeze of lemon juice, transfer in a serving dish and then finish with grated lemon zest and a few chopped parsley to garnish.
Otherwise, if you are serving the roasted asparagus later, put your lemon on stand-by and squeeze it when you're about to serve.
How to store asparagus?
If cooking the asparagus you just bought is not on your card right now and save it for later use, trim the bottoms and let it stand in a glass or a jar filled with at least an inch or two of water.
Topping Ideas
- Chopped hard boiled eggs with finely chopped parsley for color and salt and pepper to taste.
- Fresh tomato salsa
- Grated parmesan
- Crumbled crispy bacon
Top tip
►As soon as you put the asparagus in the oven, don't go far! Asparagus cooks fast. It is better to err on the side of undercooking them rather than overcooking them as overcooked asparagus will become bitter, sour, mushy and lumpy.
►Lemon juice should be added to brighten the asparagus right after it was cooked and served immediately. On the other hand, if you add the lemon juice ahead of time before serving, the roasted asparagus will become dull and acidity will make the vegetable bitter.
Recipe
Perfect lemon roasted asparagus
Equipment
- Baking sheet or baking dish Large enough to fit all the asparagus in one single layer.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds Asparagus (thick/fat), woody ends snapped off
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Sea salt
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Lime zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425℉.
- Place the asparagus in the baking dish and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Arrange in a single layer and roast for 10-12 minutes or until the asparagus begin to shrivel and the color becomes lighter.
- Remove from the oven and toss with lemon zest and lemon juice. Transfer in the serving dish.
Allegra says
I love everything easy and this recipe rock it!
Joy Cadwising says
Thank you very much Allegra! I'm glad You're happy with the recipe.
Joy Cadwising says
Thank you, Now I'm happy!