Asparagus is my favorite vegetable. It’s the harbinger of spring. Every year I rejoice when those thin and fat green spears appear in my local farmer’s market. For a few precious weeks, I bring home large bunches of fresh asparagus and cook them almost every day. Usually, I steam them for 5 minutes in a little water. Roasting takes a little more time, but it deepens the asparagus flavor. Crisp, salty asparagus fresh from the oven is divine.
In the doldrums of winter, I roast frozen asparagus. It’s not as splendid as roast fresh asparagus, but roasting is a pleasant way to cook most frozen vegetables.
If I’m in a hurry, I spoon plain old mayonnaise over asparagus. For a little more zest, I make orange sauce out of mayonnaise, yogurt, orange zest and orange juice, plus a little lime juice for extra tartness.
Roasted Asparagus with Orange Sauce
Fresh asparagus pops up in mid-May in my farmer's market. Fresh orange sauce is a sweet savory compliment to roasted asparagus.
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh or frozen asparagus
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup dairy-free yogurt
- Zest of two oranges
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Dash of pepper
Instructions
In a small bowl or in a blender, mix together the mayonnaise, yogurt, zest, juices, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour until ready to cook the asparagus.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Wash and pat dry the fresh asparagus. (If using frozen, thaw it before roasting.)
Put the asparagus on a roasting pan or cookie sheet.
Drizzle with olive oil and dust with salt and pepper.
Bake the asparagus for 12-14 minutes until soft.
Remove from oven.
Put the asparagus on a serving platter and drizzle with orange sauce.
May be served hot or cold.
Drizzle olive oil over the asparagus, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Fresh from the oven, the asparagus is darker and a little wrinkled, but it tastes salty, crisp and delicious.
Orange zest is the key to a savory-sweet orange sauce for asparagus.
Finished orange sauce ready to be drizzled on top of the roast asparagus.
Roast asparagus with orange sauce.
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