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Roasted Asparagus Recipe

My favorite way to cook asparagus is to roast it in the oven with a little garlic, salt & pepper - and viola! In 15 minutes, you will have a deliciously flavorful veggie side to eat with dinner.

Asparagus is an excellent source of folate (66% of the daily value per cup), vitamin K (115%), vitamin C (32%) and Vitamin A (19%). A cup of asparagus supplies approximately 263 mcg of folate, which is especially important for pregnant women as inadequate folate during pregnancy has been linked to several types of birth defects. Asparagus is also a very good source of potassium (288 mg per cup) and quite low in sodium (19.8 mg per cup). Check out WHFoods for more on the nutritional profile of asparagus.

Recipe for Roasted Asparagus INGREDIENTS
Asparagus (1 lb.)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (1 tbsp.)
Garlic, minced (1 clove or 1 tsp.)
Ground black pepper (1/4 tsp.)
Salt (1/4 tsp.)

PREPARATION

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Break the tough ends off of the asparagus and discard.

Arrange asparagus spears on foil and drizzle with oil.

Roll the stems around until they are all slightly coated with the oil and then sprinkle with garlic, salt & pepper (using your fingers rub them all together so that the spears are coated).

Roast for 10-12 minutes, or until spears are slightly browned.

TIPS
* When buying asparagus for roasting, select stalks the thicker stalks. Look for firm stems with deep green or purplish closed tips.
* Use asparagus within a day or two after purchasing for best flavor. Store in the refrigerator with the ends wrapped in a damp paper towel.
* Store asparagus in the back of the refrigerator away from any light, since folate is destroyed by exposure to air, heat or light.