Tasty Tuesday : Roasted Asparagus

Tasty Tuesday is a weekly feature designed to share low carb and / or healthy recipes. 

Regardless of what type of diet / healthy eating plan your are following, vegetables are important - and if you're like me, finding an appealing way to get more of them into your diet can be a challenge. Growing up, vegetables were almost always out of a can from the store or something my mother had canned. Frozen vegetables were rare, as was doing anything different with the vegetables. Plain boiled vegetables were the norm, so you can imagine that it's been difficult for me to find ways to make veggies appetizing.

When I moved out on my own, I learned a lot of cooking techniques from TV, especially Rachel Ray. Say what you will, but I learned as much from watching her as I did from watching my mother in the kitchen. (Mom's veggies may have been blah and boring, but that wasn't true for the rest of her cooking.) One of the cooking methods I picked up from the TV was the idea of roasting vegetables. I'm sure this is old hat to some of you, but let me tell you - it's one of my favorite ways to eat my veggies, so I think it's worth sharing with you!

There's just a few ingredients, but quality is important - so I've included some tips and comments for you.

Roasted Asparagus


1 bunch asparagus

Look for the skinniest stalks you can get (about the size of a pencil), since they are the most tender. To remove the tough ends, grasp the spear by the ends - one end in each hand - and flex the stalk. The asparagus will naturally snap off at the point where the woodiness really starts, 

and you'll be left with the most tender stop section. 

Typically, you'll snap off an inch or two in this process. 

olive oil

Olive oil is considered to be a healthy fat and it contributes great flavor when used for roasting.

minced garlic -OR- minced shallots

Shallots are a milder cousin to the onion. Either garlic or shallots will work in this recipe. 

I've used both - it really just depends on what flavor I want and what ingredients I have on hand. 

For the garlic, fresh is best, but the jarred minced garlic will do in a pinch. 

Use 2 cloves of garlic or 2 small to medium shallots for the standard size bunch of asparagus.

Parmesan cheese (optional)

I'm not talking about the powdery cheese in a shaker. I'm talking "real" Parmesan cheese that is grated or shredded. You can buy it pre-grated or buy a block and grate it yourself. 

You won't need a lot - just enough for a light sprinkling. We're not going for a melty puddle of cheese. 

salt & pepper

When you're roasting anything - vegetables or meats - larger particles of salt and pepper will add more to your flavor than their finely ground counterparts. So, for roasting, I prefer to use Kosher salt and pepper that I grind with my pepper grinder. No measurements - just a sprinkling to taste. 

Preheat your oven to anywhere between 375 and 425 degrees. Roasting is a very flexible process, which makes it great for meals where you are already cooking another dish in the oven. 

Begin by prepping the asparagus (snap off the woody ends and wash the stalks). Be sure to let the stalks drain well or blot off the extra water with a paper towel or kitchen towel. Place the spears on a cookie sheet or baking pan. My preferred pan for this actually has ridges on the bottom of it, so that grease and excess cooking liquid can drip away. I find that this helps the asparagus from getting too soggy and soft. If you don't have a ridged baking dish, simply place a cooling rack (like you would use to cool a cake or cookies on) onto a cookie sheet with sides and then place the asparagus on top of the rack. 

Drizzle the asparagus with olive oil and roll it around so that all the spears are evenly coated. Add the garlic or shallots and mix so that it becomes evenly distributed. Place the pan, uncovered, in your hot oven for anywhere from 12 to 20 minutes. The timing depends on how hot the oven is and how much asparagus you are trying to cook. Keep an eye on it, and remove it from the oven when it's done to your liking. 

Immediately upon removing the asparagus from the oven, give it a good sprinkling with salt and pepper, then add the Parmesan if you are using it. 

This recipe / technique is also great for Brussels sprouts and green beans, but you may want to steam them ever so slightly before roasting - it all depends on how crunchy you want the veggies to be.