Our farmer’s market opened last weekend and I missed it. It was my daughter’s birthday party and just plum forgot all about opening weekend. On the plus side, opening weekend is usually only lettuce and ramps.

When I was cleaning up after the party and putting the leftover food away, I found a bag full of asparagus in my vegetable drawer. Four bunches to be exact. Friends had gone to the farmer’s market and brought some to me. Happy day. Roasted asparagus is something I have wanted to make awhile now, so I felt there was no time like the present. I had four full bunches to prepare, after snapping the woody ends off, I had one full pound (and ¾ of an ounce.)I opted for simple (or basic) seasoning for this veggie roast. Just a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, and some lemon zest. After they roasted, I grated a bit of fresh parmesan over the slightly cooled veggie. Fantastic. Simple yet delicious.

Roasted Asparagus

Author: Michelle De La Cerda

Ingredients

1 pound fresh asparagus; trimmed
Extra virgin olive oil (about 2 tbsp +/-)
Black pepper; to taste
Kosher salt
Zest of one lemon
Fresh grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Take the freshly washed and trimmed asparagus and add it to a large zip-close bag.
Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Close and toss, making sure each piece is duly coated.
Spread the asparagus onto a cooking rack in a baking sheet (or directly on the baking sheet) in a single layer.
Sprinkle the zest of one lemon over the asparagus.
Place the asparagus in a 400º preheated oven.
Cook the asparagus for 20-25 minutes, or until cooked but still crisp.
Let cool for about 2 minutes and sprinkle freshly grated parmesan cheese over them and serve.