I learned to roast my asparagus from Nina Simonds, the expert on health giving Asian foods, and after trying it the first time, I’ve never turned back. I buy a full 1/2 pound and extract about four spears before roasting, to save for a stir-fry. Leftovers make a wonderful BLA (see below) or just a salad.
Ingredients
Sesame Vinaigrette
Preparation
Step 1
Trim the tough ends off the asparagus. Lay the spears on a baking tray lined with aluminum foil or Silpat, and drizzle the sesame and olive oils over. Salt lightly. Roll the spears over to coat all sides. Put the pan in a preheated 475° oven, and roast the asparagus for 12 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the vinaigrette, and when the asparagus is done, pour some of it over the spears.
Second Round: BLA (Bacon, Lettuce, and Asparagus Sandwich)
Step 2
If you have leftover asparagus, try making what, according to the food writer David Nussbaum, the natives in Massachusetts—in the Connecticut River Valley, where asparagus is grown—call a BLA: a bacon, lettuce, and asparagus sandwich with mayonnaise. It’s delicious.
