Roasted Asparagus

There are no sexy words related to asparagus.  Usually I attempt to come up with some suave, provocative description to get your mouth salivating or alternatively I at least try to pen a witty description... but asparagus?  How does one make asparagus alluring? "The green, knobby stalks drizzled with luscious olive oil dance with the freshly ground pepper and salt.  The dazzling show of vegetable..."  No.  Let's face it... asparagus is not a sexy food, however it does taste wonderful.  Particularly, roasting asparagus brings out its natural flavor flawlessly, without resulting in the sinewy or limp asparagus often achieved through other cooking methods.


And in case this description wasn't fulfilling enough, here's your trivia for the day: Did you know that asparagus is a cousin to onion and garlic?  I certainly didn't.  Thank you, Wikipedia.

• 1 lb fresh asparagus
• Olive oil (I use the Trader Joe's spray olive oil)
• Fresh ground pepper
• Kosher salt

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F
2. Trim the ends off of the asparagus, and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Drizzle (or spray) with olive oil, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
3. Bake for 20-25 minutes- until tender, but still crisp.

Yields 4 servings. 

Also Pictured: Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette, Blackened Chicken, and Black Bean Soup