Roasted Asparagus with Citrus & Almonds

Crispy Roasted Asparagus – delicious on its own – is made even better with a salty citrus sauce and crunchy toasted almonds.

I was pleasantly surprised this morning, while walking around Valbonne market with my girls, to find young asparagus. Thanks to an exceptionally warm winter here in Provence and an early spring – there they were, in February. It did not take a moment’s thought before they were in my basket and on their way to my kitchen.

Once home the question was – how do I prepare them? Which of my favourite recipes for asparagus would I use for these little beauties? I chose the simplest – with a twist.

Roasted Asparagus with a Twist…..

Roasting asparagus (or grilled asparagus) is one of the easiest, tastiest ways to enjoy this beautiful vegetable. On it’s own, with nothing else but olive oil, salt and pepper, roasted asparagus is divine. Having said that, what’s great about this vegetable is its strength. Asparagus have umph. Their earthy, woodiness means that they can stand up to strong flavours and strong sauces.

This sauce is bold on flavour but quick on time. Salty anchovies balance out the acidity of lemon and orange juice. The toasted almonds then bring all of the flavours together. Serve alongside grilled salmon or chicken, double up on the sauce, and you have a complete meal.

This dish is equally delicious at room temperature and makes for a nice side dish to bring to BBQs, pot lucks or your next dinner party with friends.

Roasted Asparagus with Citrus Sauce and Almonds

A simple, delicious way to make roasted asparagus even better!

• Author: Jessica Verity
• Prep Time: 10 min
• Cook Time: 10 min
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: vegetable side dish
• Method: roasting
• Cuisine: Mediterranean

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed of the tough ends
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, separated
• salt and pepper
• 2 Tablespoons almonds
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1.5 tablespoons butter
• 1 anchovy fillet, packed in oil, chopped or smashed with a knife
• 3 garlic cloves, smashed with the back of a knife
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1.5 Tablespoons orange juice
•  

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F/180C
2. Lay the asparagus out on a baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven 10-12 minutes, depending on thickness and your oven. You want the asparagus crunchy but cooked, green and not over cooked.
3. On a separate baking sheet place the almonds in the same oven and toast until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to cool and coarsely chop.
4. Meanwhile, place the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, butter, anchovy, garlic, lemon and orange zest in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the garlic is fragrant and starting to go golden.
5. Remove from the heat and stir in the orange and lemon juice.
6. Remove the asparagus from the oven and transfer to a serving platter. Drizzle with the sauce, sprinkle with almonds and serve. 

Keywords: roasted asparagus