Ah asparagus: delicious to eat, but difficult to cook. Well, not really. You just have to know the right techniques for how to cook asparagus that’s slightly crunchy on the outside and perfectly soft on the inside. Asparagus makes a perfect side to many dishes and once you know how to properly cook it, it’s quick and easy to prepare. Even better, it’s healthy for you, and full of vitamins and antioxidants.
Where a lot of people go wrong in cooking asparagus is the prep. Asparagus needs a little love before it’s ready to be sauteed or roasted in the oven. The first thing you want to do is snap off the ends of the asparagus. They generally break in the right area, since the ends are a lot drier and more brittle than the rest of the asparagus stalk.
How to Roast Asparagus
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lay out the asparagus on a baking sheet and toss lightly with some olive oil. Sprinkle a little bit of salt and pepper on top for taste.
- Once the oven is preheated, slide the asparagus onto the top rack and bake for 15-20 minutes. The asparagus should be slightly crispy on the outside.
Roasting asparagus is one of our favorite ways to cook asparagus, but there are a few other options too. Sauteing is another popular method that’s popular for cooking a variety of vegetables, including asparagus.
How to Saute Asparagus
- Heat up around 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium skillet.
- If you want bite-sized pieces of asparagus, you can cut them into smaller pieces.
- Lightly sprinkle salt and pepper over asparagus and add to the skillet when the oil is heated.
- Saute for about 3 minutes, while stirring frequently.
Another popular way to cook asparagus is to blanch it. Blanching is a process designed to soften food or partially cook it, and it consists of plunging food into boiling water for a predetermined amount of time to cook it, and then immediately plunging it into cold water to stop the cooking process. Blanching asparagus is a good option if you want your asparagus to be crunchy and fresh tasting. Blanched asparagus is perfect for salads and other dishes where gently cooked asparagus is needed.
How to Blanch Asparagus
- Bring water to boil in a saucepan or deep skillet. Once water is boiling, add asparagus.
- Cook for 2 minutes or until the stalks turn bright green.
- Immediately remove from heat and run under ice cold water (or move asparagus to a bowl of ice cold water). Once cool, remove from water, season with salt and pepper to taste or toss ia vinaigrette and serve.
We want to hear from you now – what is your preferred method of cooking asparagus? What’s your favorite pairing with asparagus? Any interesting recipes that feature asparagus? Let us know in the comments!
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