We love asparagus and cook it one of two ways — in a steamer or sauteed in olive oil in a frying pan. So, I was excited when I came across this oven roasted asparagus recipe in the April issue of Real Simple. I made it tonight to accompany some whole wheat pasta and salad.

I didn’t have kalamata olives so I used our green garlic stuffed ones instead. I didn’t have any parsley either, but I figured it wouldn’t ruin it altogether. I cut back on the salt (I am not a big fan of it) and the results were fabulous! After just 10 minutes in the oven at 450 degrees the asparagus spears were bright green, cooked through without losing the crunch and has just enough flavor from the olives without going overboard.

A very simple side dish recipe for hectic weeknights indeed! What other ways do you like to prepare asparagus? Please share!