This simple roasted asparagus recipe gets the gourmet treatment with a bright and vibrant mint gremolata. Keep this one on hand for any spring holiday get-together.
If you are anything like us, the start of springtime means one thing: lots and lots of asparagus! Whether they are starting to pop up in your garden or your market has mounds of local asparagus for sale, you are probably looking for something interesting to do with those tasty spears. While sautéing is often our go-to method for a quick weeknight side, roasting is the preferred method when entertaining. There's room to fit a couple bunches on a sheet tray while you work on the herby, fresh topping.
The Ingredients that Matter
These are all simple, seasonal ingredients that make this holiday side dish shine:
- Asparagus. Be sure the asparagus you buy are firm, vibrant green and uniform in size. This last part is key: thin, pencil-size asparagus will stay tender and crisp when roasted just 5 or 6 minutes. But, thicker, drumstick-size (musical instrument, not chicken) asparagus can take twice as long. The size you buy is really your preference, but if you use those thicker spears, they may be stringy. Here's a pro tip from the test kitchen: peel the stalks of thick asparagus. This extra step eliminates the potential stringiness!
- Fresh Mint. Definitely reach for fresh (not dried) mint for the gremolata. You want the bright, herbal flavor found in fresh mint leaves, rather than the muted, medicinal flavor of dried. And if you've never tried fresh mint in savory dishes, you are missing out! It pairs incredibly well with lemon and garlic and makes for an elegant topping on roasted asparagus.
- Lemon zest. As mentioned in our Creamy Spinach Pasta recipe write-up, too much acid will discolor green vegetables. The same goes for acid in herbs. That's why it's best to save that acid until just before serving. The gremolata recipe uses lemon zest, which adds a delightful floral flavor to the herbs and garlic.
About the Technique
There are two key techniques to learn in this recipe:
- Mush-Free Asparagus. The star of the show here may not be the top of everyone's favorite vegetable list, but that's likely from bad childhood food experiences! Read: mushy, brown, watery, flaccid boiled asparagus. Many of us we're exposed to such blunders, but that doesn't mean we need to keep asparagus off the menu. Asparagus are tender and delicate and as soon as you start breaking down the cell walls (by cooking), they start to release their water and soften. Spend too much time breaking down those cell walls and you are left with literal mush. Tip: test doneness with a fork and remove from the oven when there is still just a little resistance. The asparagus will continue cooking slightly out of the oven. Hot, dry heat also helps brown the asparagus, creating more complex flavors.
- Chopped Sauce. Gremolata is an Italian green sauce, typically made with fresh parsley, lemon zest, garlic and maybe a pinch of salt. That's it. This is not a rich, oily green sauce like pesto, The goal is for a light and fluffy, almost paste-like sauce that you can sprinkle and spoon over the asparagus. Our recipe also includes fresh mint. You simply chop all the ingredients with a chef's knife on your cutting board then sprinkle over the hot asparagus just before serving. The heat from the asparagus will activate the garlic, lemon and herb flavor, making the gremolata come to life!
Recipe
Roasted Asparagus with Mint Gremolata
- Total Time: 15 min
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
Description
This simple roasted asparagus recipe gets the gourmet treatment with a bright and vibrant mint gremolata. Keep this one on hand for any spring holiday get-together.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 bunch asparagus spears, tough stems trimmed
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- ¼ tsp. plus 1 pinch table salt, divided
- ¼ tsp. plus 1 pinch black pepper, divided
- ¼ cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves
- ¼ cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
- 1 medium clove garlic
- zest of 1 lemon, plus lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F and place the rack in the bottom position of the oven. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper.
- Place asparagus on prepared sheet tray. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Gently toss to combine and spread into an even layer. Roast until the asparagus is slightly browned and tender, 5 to 7 minutes for thin asparagus, about 10 minutes for thicker asparagus. A fork inserted into the asparagus should meet a little resistance.
- While the asparagus roasts, chop together parsley, mint, garlic, lemon zest and remaining pinch each of salt and pepper on cutting board into a rough, uniform sauce. Transfer asparagus to a serving platter and sprinkle with gremolata. Serve with lemon wedges.
Notes
- Peel thick asparagus stalks to reduce stringiness.
- Make the gremolata right before serving (it'll brown and lose flavor the longer it sits).
- Store leftover asparagus in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. Leftovers are delicious cold or at room temperature.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Category: Sides
- Method: roast
- Cuisine: holiday sides
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