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Roasted Asparagus with Lemon and Capers, easy vegetable side dish recipes for dinner
Brittany Stage

Roasted Asparagus with Lemon and Capers

Asparagus spears go into a hot oven with just olive oil, salt, and pepper, and come out with slightly crispy tips and tender stalks. A scatter of capers and fresh lemon zest right at the end adds a bright, briny finish that makes this one of the easiest impressive vegetable sides you can put on the table.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 17 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 95
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb fresh asparagus thin to medium spears work best; woody ends trimmed
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper freshly ground
  • 2 tbsp capers drained; brined, not salt-packed
  • 1 tsp lemon zest from about half a large lemon
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice optional, for finishing

Equipment

  • rimmed sheet pan
  • microplane or fine zester

Method
 

  1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and position a rack in the center. Line a rimmed sheet pan with foil or leave it bare, either works fine.
  2. Trim the woody ends of the asparagus by bending each spear near the bottom until it snaps naturally, or just line them up and cut about 1 1/2 inches off the bottom of the bunch. Both methods work.
  3. Spread the asparagus in a single layer on the sheet pan. Drizzle the olive oil over the spears and use your hands or tongs to roll them around until each one is lightly coated. Season evenly with the kosher salt and black pepper.
  4. Roast for 10 to 12 minutes. Thin spears (pencil-thin) will be done closer to 10 minutes. Medium spears need the full 12 minutes. You are looking for tips that are just barely frizzled and starting to brown, and stalks that are bright green and tender when you pierce them with a fork. Do not let the tips go fully dark brown or they will taste bitter.
  5. Pull the pan out of the oven and immediately scatter the drained capers over the hot asparagus. Grate the lemon zest directly over the spears using a microplane. If you want a brighter finish, squeeze the lemon juice over everything now.
  6. Transfer to a serving platter or serve straight from the pan. This dish is best eaten warm, within a few minutes of coming out of the oven, when the tips are still slightly crisp.

Notes

Thicker asparagus spears can be roasted too, but add 2 to 3 extra minutes and check often. The capers go on after roasting, not before, because they can become too sharp and shriveled if cooked in the oven heat.