Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients

• 1 pound asparagus spears thick for roasting ( spears are best )
• 1 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin 
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 4 servings kosher salt 
• 4 servings pepper black freshly grated
• 4 servings juice of lemon (or balsamic vinegar)

Equipment

• oven
• roasting pan
• aluminum foil
• peeler

Directions

1. Preheat oven and prep asparagus: Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C). Rinse the asparagus spears. If the ends are tough, break them off and either discard or save for stock. You can also use a vegetable peeler to peel away the tough outer skin of the fatter ends of the asparagus if you want.
2. Drizzle asparagus with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic: Line a roasting pan with foil. Arrange the asparagus spears in a single layer on the lined roasting pan.
3. Drizzle with olive oil and rub the spears all over with the olive oil to coat.
4. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and minced garlic, and rub over the asparagus spears to evenly distribute.
5. Roast in oven: Roast at 400°F (205°C) for 10 minutes, more or less, depending on your particular oven and how thick the spears are, until the asparagus are just lightly browned and tender when you pierce them with a fork.
6. Drizzle with lemon juice or balsamic to serve: To serve, drizzle with fresh lemon juice or balsamic vinegar, and if you want, a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese (skip if cooking vegan).