Superfast Asparagus Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Cut off the woody bottom part of the asparagus spears and discard.
• With a vegetable peeler, peel off the skin on the bottom 2-3 inches of the spears (this keeps the asparagus from being all "stringy" and if you eat asparagus you know what I mean by that).
• Place asparagus on foil-lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
• Sprinkle with salt.
• With your hands, roll the asparagus around until they are evenly coated with oil and salt.
• Roast for 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your stalks and how tender you like them.
• They should be tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.
• The tips of the spears will get very brown but watch them to prevent burning.
• They are great plain, but sometimes I serve them with a light vinaigrette if we need something acidic to balance out our meal.

Steps:

• Bring about 6 quarts of water to a rapid boil in a covered pot large enough to hold the asparagus. Cut the bottom section- usually about 1 to 2 inches off the asparagus stalks with a sharp knife. Peel the asparagus by laying them flat, one at a time, on a cutting board. If the asparagus are thinner than 1/2-inch, use a vegetable peeler and peel the asparagus starting at the base of the tip and peeling them all the way down to the base, eliminating the fibrous peel and revealing the pale green flesh. If the asparagus are very thick or woody, use a paring knife and start peeling from the base. When ready to cook, toss the salt into the boiling water and carefully lower in the asparagus. Turn the heat to low and simmer the asparagus, uncovered, until the spears are easily penetrated with a knife, usually after about 5 minutes but from 1 minute for very thin asparagus to 12 minutes for the very thickest. If serving cold asparagus, plunge the hot cooked asparagus into ice water or rinse under cold water in a colander. Pat dry.

Steps:

• Set up a steamer, fill the bottom with water and bring to a boil. If the asparagus are very thick, peel them. Start about 2-inch down from the tip of the stalk and peel. It is not necessary to peel thin asparagus. Cut the asparagus to fit into your steamer basket. Cover and steam until the asparagus are bright green and tender, but still somewhat crisp, about 6 to 8 minutes for thick asparagus and 3 to 5 minutes for thin asparagus. Remove from the steamer and season with salt and pepper.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Snap the asparagus at the tender part of the stalk. Arrange spears in one layer on a baking sheet. Spray lightly with nonstick spray; sprinkle with the Cajun seasoning.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tender, about 10 minutes.

Steps:

• Bring 1 inch salted water to a boil in a large skillet. Add asparagus in one layer. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes for medium and 7 minutes for jumbo. Drain, and transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and top with a pat of butter.

Steps:

• Prepare asparagus spears. First rinse thoroughly and cut off fibrous ends. To do this, pull one spear out of the bunch. Gently bend the spear until it snaps. Then cut the remaining spears at the same length as the first.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Cook garlic and shallots for five minutes or until tender but not translucent.
• Add asparagus and parmesan to skillet and toss in oil, garlic and shallots. Salt and pepper to taste.
• Cook for 8-10 minutes at medium / medium-high heat or until asparagus and parmesan begin to brown, and shallots are caramelized.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Oil a baking sheet or a baking dish large enough to hold the asparagus in one layer. Place the asparagus in the dish, and toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in the oven and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until the stalks begin to shrivel and color lightly.
• Remove from the heat, toss with the thyme and season with lemon juice if desired.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Place the asparagus, tomatoes and pine nuts on a foil-lined 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Mix 2 tablespoons oil, garlic, salt and pepper; add to asparagus and toss to coat. , Bake 15-20 minutes or just until asparagus is tender. Drizzle with remaining oil and the lemon juice; sprinkle with cheese and lemon aest. Toss to combine.

Steps:

• Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt, and the asparagus. Return to a boil, and cook until asparagus are bright green and tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to ice bath to cool. Drain well, pat dry, and transfer to a serving platter.
• In a small bowl, whisk together mustard, vinegar, and sugar. Season with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Whisk in oil. Add lemon zest and tarragon; whisk to combine. Taste, and adjust for seasoning. Drizzle over asparagus. Serve immediately, or let stand at room temperature for up to 30 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Snap the asparagus at the tender part of the stalk. Arrange spears in one layer on a baking sheet. Spray lightly with nonstick spray; sprinkle with the Cajun seasoning.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tender, about 10 minutes.

Steps:

• Prepare grill.
• Divide asparagus into 4 bunches. Align each bunch in a flat row and thread 2 skewers crosswise through each bunch (see photo, above). Brush asparagus with oil and season with kosher salt.
• Grill asparagus on an oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals until tender, 3 to 5 minutes on each side.