Share this:
Mary Anne here. It’s far thriftier and healthier to shop seasonal veggies and produce since locally-grown goods usually spend less time in transit and require less pesticides to keep fresh. In that spirit, I thought I’d share an extra tasty recipe for Roasted Asparagus. Asparagus is great with just a little olive oil, sea salt and ground black pepper, but the sesame seeds and lemon juice add a nice little zip. This dish works well alongside the Turkey Saltimbocca.
Print This Recipe
Roasted Asparagus with Sesame Seeds
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1¼ lbs. asparagus spears, tough ends snapped off – $2.53
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil from stock
1 Tablespoon Sesame seeds – $.17
coarse sea salt or Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste – $.67
Grand Total Assuming Well-Stocked Pantry: $3.37
Cost per Serving: $0.84
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. While oven is warming, wash and dry asparagus spears. Gently bend each spear at the lower third of the spear. Snap at the breaking point and discard the tough stem. Tip: (Or better yet, place the snapped-off ends in a plastic zip bag and store in the freezer. You can save all of your vegetable odds and ends this way and then use for vegetable or chicken stock.)
2. Using a baking sheet with sides that’s large enough to accommodate the asparagus in one layer, toss the asparagus evenly with the oil.
3. Place the asparagus on the middle rack of the oven and roast for 3 minutes. Turn the asparagus and continue baking another 3 minutes.
4. Sprinkle with Sesame seeds and bake 1 more minute until crisp-tender. Asparagus should be bright green.
5. Remove from oven and season with salt and freshly ground pepper and a light sprinkling of lemon juice to taste.
