Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Vinegar

I love oven roasted asparagus and usually just fix it with olive oil, salt, pepper, and sometimes a splash of lemon. I've tried slicing up some garlic and tossing it in, but didn't really get much flavor from it. As I was looking through Epicurious the other day for other asparagus recipes, I found one using Balsamic vinegar. Well, I love Balsamic vinegar, so decided to try it the next time I was craving asparagus. But I still wanted some garlic flavor, if possible. And I found a way! I thought of the garlic infused olive oil that I make sometimes for garlic bread and decided to try it, and it worked! In a small glass bowl, I poured about 2 Tbs. olive oil, and then using the garlic press, I pressed 2 cloves of garlic into the oil. I just let it sit a couple of hours before time to make dinner. The longer it sets, the better the garlic flavor! The first step is to wash the asparagus. Then, dry well so that it doesn't steam when baking.
At dinner time, I placed the asparagus on a baking sheet, drizzled it with garlic oil and added kosher salt and coarse ground pepper. I looks so good, doesn't it? Stick the pan in a hot oven

and prepare to enjoy the aroma that will be enveloping your kitchen! Oh, it smells so good! Let it roast 10-15 minutes until tender, but be sure to take the asparagus out of the oven before the garlic gets too brown. What I had was luscious, tender asparagus that was slightly caramelized and infused with a wonderful hint of garlic! Then, I topped it off with Balsamic vinegar. Yum! It was a nice change to my favorite asparagus.
Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Vinegar
1 pound of asparagus, with ends snapped, washed and dried
1-2 cloves of garlic, pressed or minced
2 Tbs. olive oil ( or more, according to your preference)
kosher salt
pepper
1 Tbs. Balsamic Vinegar
Combine olive oil and garlic in a glass bowl and let set at room temperature for several hours, if possible.
Preheat oven to 425.
Place snapped asparagus on baking sheet.
Drizzle with the garlic infused olive oil
Add kosher salt and coarse ground pepper
Place pan in oven and bake for 10-15 minutes until tender when pierced with a fork and slightly caramelized
Remove from oven and transfer to serving dish and splash with 1 Tbs. Balsamic Vinegar
Enjoy! What is your favorite way to enjoy asparagus?

8 comments:

  1. it's been proven time and time again that i only enjoy asparagus that's been roasted. i like your use of balsamic vinegar--i'll have to give it a try!

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  2. Wow, just found your blog and you had just the recipe I needed. Made this for lunch. It is great, and you were right, the smell is so wonderful! Thanks

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  3. I love balsamic vinegar with asparagus - they go perfectly together. Great post.

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  4. I like the sound of your garlic infused olive oil together with the balsamic vinegar, I bet this tasted great.

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  5. We have the same dinner plates! I've been meaning to cook asparagus. Yours look delicious!

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  6. Thanks all for stopping by!
    Linda, glad you liked the asparagus fixed this way!
    Barbara, guess we just have good taste in dishes!

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  7. It looks delicious. Your photos are great. I like to slice roasted red peppers in strips and toss them with the roasted asparagus in a lemon-garlic vinaigrette.

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  8. Hi, Sophie, thanks for stopping by. We have white asparagus also, although in my town, they haven't been avalible very long.

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I am so glad you stopped by. I hope you'll come back often. Thank you for your comments!