Dinner Party: Balsamic Roasted Asparagus

Roasted asparagus.

This was a recipe from the night we had our friend Steve and his parents over for dinner.  Spring fever has really hit me and I want loads of fresh fruits and veggies all the time.  Since asparagus is starting to come into season, I thought this would be perfect.  Plus asparagus was on sale for $2/pound at the grocery store.  I'm excited for local asparagus though at the farmers' market. 

Inspiration

Our Best Bites Garlic Balsamic Asparagus

Asparagus in a gallon bag.

I doubled this recipe since we were serving five adults and I wanted to make sure we had enough.  I didn't double the oil though.  I ended up baking them a little longer too since I prefer my asparagus a little more done. 

Ingredients

• 2 lb. asparagus
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp. Kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
• 2 tsp. minced or pressed garlic

Directions

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Asparagus getting toasty warm.

Rinse and snap off the asparagus "root" end.  I also snapped each stalk in half so they were a manageable size.  Put the asparagus in a gallon zipper bag and add the rest of the ingredients.  Shake it around so all of the pieces are evenly coated.  Pour the contents out onto a rimmed baking sheet and try to make sure it's a single layer with no overlap.  Bake in the oven for 5 minutes.  Stir them around to make sure they're all getting cooked evenly. Bake for another 5-10 minutes. 

Verdict

Spring on your plate.

Good enough to serve for company, but I think the balsamic was overpowering. The next time I make it I'll use fresh lemon juice instead, which would make it more spring-y.  But it was definitely nice to try something different, usually we grill asparagus or make asparagus risotto.