Maple Roasted Asparagus Recipe
Asparagus Recipes Don't Get Any Tastier Than This One
Asparagus spears are tossed with olive oil and maple syrup in this sweet roasted asparagus recipe.
Few asparagus recipes come close to this one in terms of taste and ease. Who knew such a simple preparation could yield such delicious results?
Indeed, roasting asparagus brings out the vegetable's natural sweetness, but adding a touch of maple syrup makes it even sweeter -- a real treat for a typically bitter vegetable.
It's true: Once you learn how to cook asparagus like this, you will never go back to plain old steamed or blanched asparagus again. In fact, confirmed asparagus-haters will soon change their minds about the vitamin-rich vegetable after tasting this roasted asparagus recipe.
And as sweet as this side dish is, it is amazingly low in calories and high in fiber, vitamins, minerals and protein. This asparagus recipe boasts a whopping 2 grams of fiber and 2 grams of protein per serving, plus 17% of the recommended daily allowance for vitamin A and 14% of the recommended daily allowance for iron. And it has no cholesterol and just 71 calories. Now that's a healthy side dish!
This roasted asparagus recipe makes an elegant side dish and a delicious companion to beef tenderloin, stuffed flank steak or roasted pork tenderloin. Just add butternut squash smashed potatoes or low-fat scalloped potatoes with cheese, and you've got an elegant dinner that is worthy of serving to company.
For more tasty asparagus recipes, see asparagus wrapped in prosciutto, vegetarian asparagus crepes, and ham and asparagus quiche.
Maple Roasted Asparagus Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 pound raw asparagus, woody ends trimmed
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Toss trimmed asparagus spears with olive oil, salt and pepper. Drizzle the maple syrup over the asparagus and toss with your hands to make sure the spears are evenly coated.
- Spread the asparagus out in an even layer on a sturdy baking sheet or a cast iron roasting pan (the Mario Batali pizza pan works well for this).
- Note: The maple syrup makes the pan sticky. To make for easier clean-up, use a cast iron roasting pan or line your baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Roast the asparagus for 10 to 12 minutes. Turn asparagus over. Roast for another 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings.
Per serving: 71 calories, 4 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 0 mg cholesterol, 8 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 2 g protein, 17% vitamin A, 10% vitamin C, 3% calcium, 14% iron
