This Last-Minute Easter Side Dish Only Requires 3 Ingredients

Whether I’m hosting Easter brunch, lunch, or dinner, asparagus is almost always on my table. As soon as I see tall bundles of the bright green vegetable at the grocery store, I'm instantly put into a springtime mood. Plus, asparagus is the perfect pair for just about anything I'm planning to serve, from eggs to seafood to roasted lamb.

The other great thing about asparagus is that when it’s in season and at its prime, you don’t have to do much to it. In fact, one of my favorite recipes is hardly a recipe at all. Our Oven-Roasted Asparagus requires just 10 minutes and only three ingredients, not counting salt and pepper: asparagus and olive oil, and an optional ingredient to fancy it up, if you’d like.

In our simple recipe, the asparagus is trimmed, drizzled with olive oil, then seasoned and sprinkled with  minced garlic before it is roasted for 10 minutes. When it is cooked and crisp-tender, it is topped with almonds before serving for a crunchy garnish. You can always skip either or both of those ingredients, but you probably have them on hand, anyway. 

This basic recipe can be used as a springboard for all sorts of fresh combinations and flavorful variations. Instead of the garlic, try fresh lemon or orange zest, chopped woody herbs (like rosemary or thyme), a few dashes of hot sauce, or your favorite no-salt seasoning blend. You can substitute just about any nut for the almonds, or omit them altogether and top the roasted asparagus with toasted breadcrumbs, grated or shaved Parmesan cheese, a grated hard-cooked egg, or fried onions or leeks. 

Make it for Easter, a springtime luncheon, dinner party, or any time you can get your hands on asparagus when it's super fresh.