In this roasted asparagus recipe, the fresh springtime vegetable is tossed with olive and roasted until tender, then drizzled with a simple Dijon vinaigrette. 66 calories and 1 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP
Am I the only one who suffers from road rage in the aisles of Costco? Last Sunday, we were caught in one of those classic Costco traffic jams. Everyone and their cousin was roaming the aisles with their carts filled to the brim, some moving a little more slowly than my ideal pace.
Must we look at every single cereal option while standing four abreast so that no one else can get through? Grab your Honey Nut Cheerios and get a move-on!
Seriously, what is wrong with me? I can stand in front of a pot of risotto, slowly stirring the simmering mixture for half an hour. But put me in a crowded store with a couple hundred shoppers and I lose my mind.
Maybe if they served risotto samples, I could avoid the inevitable wild-eyed look that sets in shortly after entering the toilet paper aisle.
Thankfully, I've been able to find the "adult" in me and haven't rammed anyone with my cart just yet. That behavior might be a little difficult to explain to our two boys.
"Mummy got a little frustrated with the people in the pet supplies aisle and decided to run them all down with her cart. She's been asked never to visit the magical warehouse kingdom again."
I pointed my cart straight at the vegetable section and made my way through slowly and patiently (deep breaths, everyone).
Cucumber...check. Red peppers...check. Mushrooms, spinach and carrots...check, check, check.
And asparagus! Yes, there was the asparagus, sitting front and center. A sign of spring and my go-to side dish from April through July. Grill it, roast it, steam it...I can't get enough of it.
This recipe is as simple as it gets. The asparagus is tossed with some olive oil and ground pepper, and roasted on a baking sheet until just tender. Freshly whisked Dijon dressing is slowly poured over the still-warm vegetable and the flavors slowly seep in.
It made the whole Costco trip worthwhile!
Other asparagus recipes:
Cookin' Canuck's Asparagus Hummus for Healthy Snacking
Cookin' Canuck's Creamy Asparagus with Lemon & Thyme
Ambitious Kitchen's Sesame Garlic Roasted Asparagus
Just A Taste's Baked Asparagus Fries with Roasted Garlic Aioli
Roasted Asparagus Recipe with Dijon Mustard Dressing
Ingredients
The Dressing:
- 2 ½ teaspoons white wine vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons minced shallots
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 ½ teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
The Asparagus:
- 1 pound fresh asparagus
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
The Dressing:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the white wine vinegar, shallots, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper until smooth.
- While whisking slowly pour in the olive oil until the dressing is combined.
The Asparagus:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Trim the tough ends from the asparagus and place the asparagus on a baking sheet.
- Toss the asparagus with olive oil and pepper until coated.
- Lay the asparagus on the baking sheet, in a single layer.
- Roasted the asparagus until it is just tender, 12 to 18 minutes (depending on the thickness of the asparagus).
- Serve the asparagus warm or room temperature, with some of the Dijon dressing drizzled over top (use as much as you like, to your taste).
Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Justine
Roasted asparagus is already great on it's own, but that vinaigrette made it SO MUCH BETTER!
Taylor
Absolutely love the dressing on top! So fresh and flavorful!
Kirsten
Dara,
I hear that ground has broken on a Costco about 20 min away, but for now the closest one is an hour away. Conveniently, though, it's a few minutes from the rink where my son plays sled hockey October to April, so nearly every Monday night for 6 months I'm able to make my Costco run easily.
Love their cheese section.
I'll looking forward to the asparagus from the farm share--and will definitely try this.
Thanks!
Natalie @ Paper and Birch
Hahaha. I'm SO glad that I'm not the only one who goes a little nuts in Costco! I feel like I'm playing a game of cat & mouse trying to weave in and out the plethora of slow walkers, people who take put the entire aisles or the crowds around the food samples! And asparagus is one of my faves, so I'll definitely be trying this recipe, thanks Dara 🙂
Tracy
You must be talking about the Bham Costco! At least your story reminded me of my experiences there 🙂 I was looking for a sauce for the asparagus that's languishing in my fridge, glad I found this one.
Liz @ The Lemon Bowl
I could literally eat an entire platter of this solo!
Rob Long
This recipe looks delicious! I can't wait to try it...we love asparagus on the grill, so I'm sure this will be good too!
Oh, yes, don't get me started on CostCo!
Don't people understand 'keep to the right'?! Why must these people who are all meandering in the same direction, spread themselves as wide as possible across the aisles? GRRR!
And if you must have a conference, do it off to the side of the aisle, not smack dab in the middle! Sheesh!
Rob
Saint John, NB
Shirley
Suggestion:
1)don't shop @ Costco
2)if you must, shop on Monday; is that not the least hectic day
3)shop where there are local vegetables; did not seem that you are reading labels as to the origin of your vegetables, etc.
You'll feel better when you know from whence your purchases have started out
Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking
I love the dressing on this delicious asparagus! So perfect for spring dinner parties. Great recipe, Dara!
Jenny Flake
Perfect Dara! I've got some asparagus to use up today! Can't wait to try this!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
Thanks, Jenny! I hope you enjoy it.
KalynsKitchen
I try to avoid Costco except for first thing in the morning when they open, but I do know what you mean! Sounds like a great recipe; love asparagus!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
That's exactly what I need to do, Kalyn!
Amanda
Costco can be an adventure, it's worth it on the weekends though when they are giving out free samples all over the store! 🙂
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
I'll admit...I do love the samples. 🙂
Lydia (The Perfect Pantry)
This is just how I prepare asparagus when I'm lucky enough to go to the farm in the morning, get some fresh-picked spears from the field, and bring them home to cook immediately. It's another month, or maybe 6 weeks, for us, until the season begins. Then, I'll be making asparagus just this way!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
How wonderful that you have a farm so close to you so that you can get fresh-from-the-field asparagus. I'll bet the flavor is unbelievable!