Lemon Garlic Roasted Asparagus (Ready in 20 Minutes!)

Are you looking for a simple asparagus recipe that pairs well with just about any meal? A quick and easy roasted asparagus that is coated in a delicious lemon and garlic sauce and then cooked in the oven until crisp and tender. Hey there, I'm London Brazil from EvolvingTable.com where you'll learn how to make nourishing meals to serve the ones you love. And today I'll be teaching you how to make this lemon and garlic roasted asparagus. Knowing how to cook asparagus that comes out crispy but not soggy, tender but not tough can be a little bit of a challenge. So in today's video, I'll make sure to show you how to properly trim your asparagus before you roast it in the oven, as well as a few tips and tricks to get that crisp texture you know and love. And the best part, this asparagus side dish recipe can be ready and on your table, wait for it, in under 20 minutes. So if you're ready to get to roasting, then come on in and let's get started. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. We'll first start off by preparing one pound of fresh asparagus spears. This will give you roughly four servings. If you're expecting more than four guests for dinner or if you just want a little extra for leftovers, feel free to either double or triple this recipe. There are two different ways that you can trim the ends of your asparagus spears, either by using a really sharp knife or you can snap each asparagus spear by hand. While trimming the ends of asparagus with a knife is definitely quicker, you run the risk of ending up with those tough and fibrous ends that are difficult to chew. Trust me, I know this just a little bit too well since I choked on one of those tough and fibrous pieces of asparagus while in the middle of the Costa Rican jungle. But luckily, my hubby knew how to do the Heimlich maneuver and pretty much saved my life. So instead of using the knife method, I like to use what I call the snap method. Pick up one spear of asparagus and place your thumbs at the junction of the light brown or white and bright green part. Press lightly until you feel where the asparagus is soft versus where it is hard. Continue pressing until the spear snaps. Repeat this process with the remaining asparagus spears. Place asparagus in a single layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. You'll wanna make sure to use a baking sheet that's large enough to fit all of the asparagus without any of the spears overlapping. Next, let's start whisking together our seasoning ingredients. Combine one and a half tablespoons of olive oil, one clove of crushed garlic, half a teaspoon of salt, and 1 1⁄4 teaspoon of black pepper to taste. Whisk until smooth. The amount of oil you use is a super important step to make sure you get perfectly crisp and not too soggy roasted asparagus. So make sure you don't overdo it right here. Once the garlic oil has been whisked together, use a pastry brush to brush it over the asparagus spears. Roll the asparagus in the oil to ensure all sides are evenly coated. Our asparagus is all ready, and now we just need to pop it into our preheated 400 degree oven for 11 to 13 minutes. You'll know the asparagus is done when it turns bright green and is fork tender. Oh, look at that beautiful bright green color and how perfectly crisp those edges are. We couldn't forget that lemon. Just before serving, use either a microplane or a citrus zester and zest half of a lemon and squeeze the juice over all of the asparagus. If you add the lemon juice before roasting, it will develop a slightly off and bitter taste. So it's best to save your citrus for a finishing touch. Okay, it's time for me to take a little taste test. Oh yeah. Mm, mm, mm-mm, mm-mm-mm. Oh, that is perfectly tender, nice and crisp, and full of a lemon and garlic flavor. If you liked what you saw here today, make sure you check out these other healthy side dish recipes. Thanks so much for hanging out. I'll see you again soon.