Asparagus was one of the very first things I tried my hand at when I first began cooking a few years ago. It’s always been my favorite vegetable, hands down.  I love, love, love it on the barbecue, complete with flavorful black grill marks and just a hint of crispness…but that’s not always a possibility.  Luckily, I have a close second favorite, and that’s roasting!

It was raining this weekend so roasting it was.  I was far from disappointed, though; roasting is so easy and really brings out the flavor in vegetables.  And it takes literally under ten minutes from start to table – gotta love it!  This is definitely my go-to veggie dish – luckily my entire family loves asparagus as much as I do!

All you have to do to roast asparagus is trim it, drizzle a small amount (not too much or your asparagus will get greasy) of olive oil, sprinkle generously with kosher or sea salt, toss with your hands, and pop into the oven!  Bake at 400 degrees for approximately five minutes.  Don’t cook too long as you don’t want to lose the crispness entirely – you’re shooting for crisp-tender here.  The size of the asparagus will have a lot to do with how long you leave it in – very thin stalks might take just three minutes, where thick stalks might take seven or eight.  Just check it often and it will be perfect!