Introduction
Asparagus is a delicious spring vegetable that is low in calories and high in nutrients. It’s also easy to cook, especially if you are roasting it in the oven. You can roast asparagus spears whole or cut into smaller pieces; either way, they’ll taste great when roasted with olive oil and lemon. The cooking time will depend on the size of your asparagus stalks and how thickly they’re sliced; each stalk should take 12 to 16 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit before being ready to eat!
Cooking time will depend on the size of the spears.
The cooking time will depend on the size of your spears. If you’re cooking smaller spears, they’ll be done in 12 to 16 minutes; larger ones may take up to 20 minutes. Once they’re done, remove them from the oven and transfer them to a plate or bowl with a slotted spoon so that any extra liquid drains off before serving.
Asparagus should be tender when cooked through but still crisp at its core–they should not be mushy or limp at all! You can check for doneness by poking one with a fork; if it goes through easily without resistance (like butter), then it’s probably ready to come out now too!
Choose stalks that are approximately 1 1/2 inches thick.
Choose stalks that are approximately 1 1/2 inches thick. The thicker the asparagus, the longer it takes to cook. If you have thinner spears in your bunch, feel free to trim them down so they can fit in your pan without crowding each other out or overlapping too much (which leads to uneven cooking).
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. This will take at least 10 minutes, so make sure you do it before you start preparing the asparagus. You can use a meat thermometer to check that your oven has reached the correct temperature before placing any food inside of it.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread out the asparagus spears.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread out the asparagus spears.
Use a spatula to spread them out, making sure they don’t overlap or touch each other.
Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice over the asparagus spears and season with salt and pepper.
Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice over the asparagus spears, then season with salt and pepper.
roast asparagus for 12 to 16 minutes in the oven
If you want to cook asparagus for a longer period of time, use the same method, but increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. This will ensure that your asparagus stays crispy and doesn’t become mushy. If you don’t have time for this step or if you’re looking for something quick and easy (and who isn’t?), then just roast your spears at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes.
Conclusion
You can roast asparagus in the oven to make it a little more interesting. The flavor of this vegetable is fantastic, but sometimes you may want something more than steamed or boiled asparagus. Roasting it will not only give it a different flavor, but also make the spears tender enough that they can be eaten without peeling off their skin first!