Perfectly seasoned and roasted asparagus that only takes 20 minutes from fridge to face! Only 80 calories per serving! An easy side for your favorite protein!
Roasted vegetables are really the only kind of vegetables we eat in our house anymore. It's become so commonplace for me that I forget that before I met Andrew I never roasted (or even knew how to roast!) my veggies. Now it's become so second nature that I forget other people may not be familiar with the time, temperature, or seasonings needed to make roasted veggies so delicious!
My favorite vegetable is brussels sprouts, but Andrew has put me on a hiatus of making them ("for at least a year") because I may or may not have been force-feeding him these almost every week for the last few months...*shrug* Sorry not sorry....I mean just check out how delicious they look in this sprouts with bacon and blue cheese recipe!
My husband begging for a brussels breather lead to me changing up my side dish game recently, and since salmon was on the menu, I knew asparagus would be the perfect complement!
EASY ROASTED ASPARAGUS
80 calories per serving (about 4-5 spears)
There's a reason the first word of this recipe is EASY. It only takes one pan and 20 minutes to whip this together. Plus, if you use foil on your baking sheet there's essentially no dishes! So before we dig into the recipe, let's cover some of the most common questions regarding our main ingredient!
what am i looking for when i choose asparagus?
- Choose asparagus that is smooth, straight, brittle, and will crack if you try to bend it.
- The tips of the asparagus should be tightly closed (like the tip of a paintbrush) with a dark green or purple hue. If they are yellow or dried out then the asparagus is becoming old.
- The stalks should be moist and plump. If they look dry, cracked or woody, then they are older and should be avoided.
- Avoid any asparagus that is wilting or blemished, unless you plan to make a soup out of it!
- There are three color types of asparagus:
- Green asparagus is the most common and gets its color from photosynthesis
- White asparagus is the same as green asparagus, but it is created in a dark artificial environment (no sunlight, therefore no photosynthesis and no green color) and tends to cost more.
- Purple asparagus is completely different and gets its color from high levels of antioxidants in the stalks. It has a lower fiber level than green or white asparagus so it will be more tender and sweeter in taste.
How do I store it until I'm ready to cook this aH-mazing recipe?
- Trim about ½ inch off of the ends of the stalk then wrap the ends in a damp paper towel. Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for 1 week. (The rest of the asparagus should remain unwashed).
- To make the asparagus last a few days longer, you can also store them upright in a jar filled with 1 inch of water and cover the jar with a plastic bag.
Tip: You can find more tips on seasonal produce selection and storage, plus tons of recipes from fellow food bloggers in my Monthly Seasonal Produce Guides!
I don't like garlic and onion, what else could I use to season my asparagus?
- Lemon juice
- Balsamic vinegar
- Italian seasoning
- Red pepper flakes
- Toasted sliced almonds
- Small pads of compound butter
- Chopped parsley
Okay, I'm in, so how do I make this recipe?
To start, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Wash 1 bunch of asparagus and trim the ends by snapping them off. Prepare a baking sheet lined with foil and spread the asparagus spears into a single layer.
Drizzle the asparagus with 2 tablespoon of olive oil then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of onion powder and salt and pepper to taste.
Toss to fully coat all of the asparagus.
Place into the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway through. (Drizzle on a little extra olive oil if they appear to be drying out or burning.)
Serve immediately with your favorite protein (such as my also easy Balsamic Roasted Salmon pictured below), or chop up and toss into your salad for a unique and flavorful crunch! 
Want to add some more easy roasted veggies to your repertoire? Check out these Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Carrots and Dried Cranberries, these Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Blue Cheese or change it up by roasting fruit in this recipe for Roasted Plums and Peaches!
Recipe Card
Easy Roasted Asparagus
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 20 spears 1x
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Roasted
- Cuisine: Vegetarian
- Diet: Low Calorie
Description
Perfectly seasoned and roasted asparagus that only takes 20 minutes from fridge to face! Only 80 calories per serving! An easy side for your favorite protein!
Ingredients
- 1 bundle of asparagus (about 15-20 spears), washed with ends trimmed off
- 2 Tbsp high quality olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet lined with foil and spread 1 bundle of washed and trimmed asparagus spears into a single layer.
- Drizzle the asparagus with 2 tablespoon olive oil then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon garlic and 1 teaspoon onion powder as well as salt and pepper to taste.
- Toss to fully coat all of the asparagus.
- Place into the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway through. (Drizzle on a little extra olive oil if they appear to be drying out or burning.)
- Serve immediately with your favorite protein (such as my also easy Balsamic Roasted Salmon), or chop up and toss into your salad for a unique and flavorful crunch!
Notes
See post for additional seasoning options and tips on how to choose and store asparagus.
Keywords: asparagus, side dish, easy, roasted vegetable, healthy dinner, low calorie, Thanksgiving side
What do you think? Did this recipe make the cut for you or did it crumble? What would you do differently? Leave a comment below! 🙂
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