Asparagus is one of my favorite veggies to make, especially during spring when it's in season. Roasting is my favorite way to prepare it, though grilling is a close second. While I don't have asparagus in my garden, I have always wanted to grow it. UMD Ag Extension has a good page about growing asparagus in a home garden (note that some information on that page could be region-specific).
Trimming Asparagus
If the ends of the asparagus are thick, I prefer to cut them off so that the pieces are thinner. Thin pieces are best for roasting, but the thick ones can be used for grilling. Some people also use a vegetable peeler to peel the thick ends and bring them down to a reasonable size. I prefer to just cut them off because it's quicker.
Roasting Method
This recipe roasts the asparagus in the oven. The asparagus cooks best when it's on a single layer on a sheet pan. If your oven tends to have hot spots, rotate the pan halfway through.
Convection Tips
I use convection to roast these. This might seem a bit odd, but I use the convection bake setting and not convection roast. Convection roast throws too much heat from above (from the broiler) for a tender/thin vegetable like asparagus.
Convection recipes are usually made 25 degrees cooler than conventional. Some ovens automatically adjust to subtract 25 degrees, and some do not. My oven will subtract the 25 degrees initially, but the it will allow me to adjust it to exactly the right temperature I want once it's preheated. In summary, just double check your oven temp once it's preheated.
Looking for other side dish ideas? See my Side Dish collection.
Roasted Asparagus
Equipment
- Parchment paper optional (for easier clean-up)
Ingredients
- 1 bunch asparagus
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° for conventional or 400° for convection. (Note: Use convection bake, not convection roast.)
- Trim the asparagus to remove the thick ends.1 bunch asparagus
- Transfer asparagus to a large mixing bowl with the olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir until the asparagus pieces are evenly coated.1 tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp garlic powder, 1 pinch kosher salt, 1 pinch black pepper
- Transfer asparagus to a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment (parchment is optional, but recommended). The asparagus should be in a single layer.
- Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Check the asparagus and cook for an additional 2-5 minutes if needed. Cooking time will vary based on the thickness of the asparagus stalks and other factors.
