Oven-Roasted Asparagus

I love asparagus and this is my favorite way to prepare them! Unfortunately I couldn't find any fresh asparagus at the grocery store, so I had to use frozen. I definitely recommend using fresh if you can get them: just cook them for less time.

Ingredients:

6 stalks of asparagus, trimmed (if using from frozen do not defrost)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

generous pinches of salt and pepper 

you'll also need:

baking sheet lined with foil

shallow bowl

pastry brush

metal spatula

1. preheat the oven to 350 F. In a shallow bowl, combine the oil, salt and pepper, mixing together with a fork.

2. place the asparagus, 1 stalk at a time, into the bowl. Brush it all over with the mixture, then transfer it to the baking sheet. (If the asparagus are fresh, they will be more pliable and you can probably get them coated without the pastry brush.) Make sure the asparagus stalks are arranged in a single layer.

3. place the sheet in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, then flip the asparagus over. Continue cooking until crisp, about 15 to 25 minutes.

This recipe is based on the many times I have roasted vegetables in the oven.