Asparagus Baked, Roasted, or Grilled

Chef's notes

Asparagus are elegant yet so easy to prepare. They can be cooked the French way, tied and plunged into boiling water, cooked until just tender. They can simply be served with butter and lemon juice or elaborately topped with classic hollandaise sauce or sprinkled with herbed breading.

However, as a stand-alone vegetable, I enjoy them baked, roasted or grilled with olive oil and simple seasoning and any number of optional toppings. Cooking method is usually decided by convenience, how the main course is prepared and cooked. If asparagus accompanies Cape Cod Style Baked Shrimp with Ritz Cracker topping, I’ll bake asparagus concurrently in the same 375° oven. If the oven isn’t being used, I prefer roasting with high direct heat. If dinner is being grilled, so will the asparagus.

I prefer medium to larger asparagus. They are easier to handle, more convenient to trim and peel and fewer per pound to prepare. They are also somewhat more forgiving when cooking to doneness. Selecting those that are roughly the same thickness helps cook asparagus equally. Look for asparagus spears that are firm, never wrinkled, bright green with tight peddles. Purchase no earlier than the night before cooking and keep refrigerated and ends submerged in water until ready to cook.

Preparation is also easy. Hand snap off their tough base. Peeling the bottom third of their stocks will help them cook evenly and remove rough skins. There are small signals showing which cooks have at least a moderate passion for cooking. Asparagus skins on or off are telltale.

Regardless which cooking technique, bake, roast or grill, asparagus are coated in olive oil and sprinkled with Tuscany season or your favorite aromatic herb blend. In addition to rosemary and sage my Tuscany seasoning also has sun dried garlic with kosher salt, a perfect blend.

Baked asparagus retain their fresh green colors and maintain their clean asparagus taste. Grilled will have characteristic grill marks and develops bolder flavors. Roasting is somewhere in between. Although nor required, recipes below have several optional toppings.

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Baked AsparagusBright green when just cooked through

Asparagus with a drizzle of Balsamic Glaze

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Ingredients

Serving for 6-8

2 pounds of asparagus spears
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoon Tuscany Seasoning
Ground black pepper

Instructions

Prepare asparagus spears as discussed above. Place them on a rimmed cookie sheet parallel to one another in a single layer. Liberally brush with olive oil and sprinkle with Tuscany Seasoning and a couple grinds of black pepper. Roll them around to evenly distribute seasoning and olive oil.
Baking - Place asparagus in 375° oven. Asparagus should be just cooked through, tender but not limp in about 10 to 12 minutes. Halfway through, rotate them. Oven temperature may vary. Test earlier to make sure they don't overcook.

Roasting - Preheat oven to 450° direct heat. Place tray 4 to 6 inches below upper heating element. Rotate asparagus every couple of minutes, more frequently as the begin to char. Asparagus should be ready after 6 or 8 minutes. Test for doneness prior.

Grilling - Set grill to moderate heat. Place asparagus perpendicular to grates and rotate each frequently as they char. Remove when cooked through.
Place asparagus neatly and parallel to one another all in the same direction in the serving platter. Optics seem to do wonders for taste. Asparagus are terrific prepared and served these simple ways. You can top with one of the options below. Balsamic Glaze is my favorite.
Drizzle with Balsamic Glaze in a zigzag pattern across the asparagus. If your container doesn't have a spout, sweep across them with a filled kitchen spoon.
Parmigiana Cheese Topping, reduce Tuscany seasoning to 1/2 teaspoon. When asparagus is almost ready, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of melted butter and sprinkle with a few tablespoons of grated parmigiana cheese. Return to oven for an additional minute. Stage in a serving bowl or platter. Drizzle with butter and juices; serve.
Seasoned Breadcrumbs and Butter. Reduce Tuscany seasoning to 1 teaspoon. Top baked or roasted asparagus with 1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of butter. Lightly brown under the broiler and serve immediately.

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Asparagus Baked, Roasted, or Grilled