Roasted Asparagus ready for noshing.

The asparagus is starting to come up and I am ready. My favorite way to eat asparagus is to snap it off and eat it raw, grazing in the garden. My next favorite way it to roast it. Roasting does an excellent job of reviving supermarket asparagus. It can be roasted plain, just rolled in a little olive oil with a sprinkle of salt, or add some pressed garlic and balsamic vinegar or lemon juice. So simple, and so good. Serve as an appetizer, vegetable, snack, or in salad.

Roasted Asparagus
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

1 pound fresh asparagus
1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sprinkle of salt
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced (optional)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or lemon juice (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Rinse the asparagus. Break the tough ends of the asparagus by holding the stalk gently by both ends and bending until it breaks and discard the tough end. Alternatively, peel the tougher bottom end of the asparagus with a peeler down to a more tender level.
Lay the prepared asparagus in a single layer on a dark roasting pan and sprinkle with the olive oil. Roll the spears back and forth over the pan until they are evenly coated with the oil. Sprinkle with salt and the optional garlic and/or vinegar or lemon juice. Roll the spears again to distribute all evenly.

Asparagus in the pan ready to roast.

Roast in the oven 8 to 10 minutes, depending on how thick the spears are, until just tender when pierced with a fork.