<p>Easter is the holiday we host - yippee (ok, a little sarcasm there).</p>
<p>Am going to buy asparagus - looking for a simple recipe - both ingredient wise and time wise. Cold or hot. My husband loves asparagus, but only steamed, but the rest of the family coming is adventurous so I’d like something other than steamed.</p>
<p>If you can provide a link to the recipe or better yet, because the recipe will be so SIMPLE, post it here, that would be great!</p>
<p>Well, simple is a relative term ;)</p>
<p>But here is the best recipe on the planet earth that involves asparagus:
(I will make it as the first course for Easter Dinner)</p>
<p>[Baked</a> Lasagna with Asparagus and Pesto Recipe : Mario Batali : Food Network](<a href=“http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/mario-batali/baked-lasagna-with-asparagus-and-pesto-recipe/index.html]Baked”>http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/mario-batali/baked-lasagna-with-asparagus-and-pesto-recipe/index.html)</p>
<p>and for simple and good (a basic risotto from Mario)</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/02/dining/02mini.html[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/02/dining/02mini.html</a></p>
<p>I also par-boil the spears and wrap each with prosciutto and serve as an appetizer.</p>
<p>Looks delicious, but I’m just looking to use it as a vegetable side dish/or salad!</p>
<p>And when I say SIMPLE, I mean S-I-M-P-L-E!!! :)</p>
<p>Drizzle with olive oil, salt and petter, then roast in a hot oven. Rapturous!</p>
<p>(you can serve with any sort of dressing/dipping sauce you like. Or nothing at all.)</p>
<p>Personally, I LOVE grilled asparagus as plain as possible, with a bit of butter (or olive oil) & salt & pepper is even better. It’s simple & great served hot or cold. If you have a Forman grill, you can use that, otherwise, you can broil.</p>
<p>For simple, it is hard to beat steamed asparagus with lemon, salt, and butter.
Other possibilities I like: steamed and afterwards add Newman’s own Italian or clear French dressing. Serve hot or cold.
Steamed, with sauteed mushrooms.
Steamed, with Sauce Bearnaise, if cholesterol is no object.</p>
<p>Wash asparagus. Break off ends. Steam briefly, just until it’s barely done. Salt. Serve, adding some melted butter if you feel like it, and maybe a bit of lemon juice.</p>
<p>Asparagus doesn’t need anything to dress it up.</p>
<p>One other thing that has always been popular is serving that with other steamed or grilled veggies. It makes a great appetizer or folks were adding it to their salads as well. YUM & low in calories & guilt!</p>
<p>OK…I’m trying the roasted in a hot oven method tonight with the tilapia 
a good pan of roasted potatoes and we’re done!
Thanks, all!</p>
<p>I prefer asparagus grilled, but it is equally good broiled. Place the trimmed spears in a single layer on a cookie sheet, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Place under a 400 degree broiler - watch carefully and turn once to evenly brown. </p>
<p>This is a great method because the asparagus stays tender/crisp, yet has a nice brown, roasted appearance and taste. And it doesn’t get any easier.</p>
<p>I use Zoozermom’s recipe- drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper but at the last few minutes I add fresh grated parmesan cheese and put it on broil for just a few minutes. Delicious.</p>
<p>So glad my thoughts helped you out with your dinner debrockman!!! :)</p>
<p>Sounds like I could do the same - roast the asparagus while the tilapia is cooking???</p>
<p>Agree with gourmetmom but also squeeze a lemon over after its done. As noted, need to watch carefully.</p>
<p>I have two favorites: One a variation of the above (roast in oven with salt and olive oil)</p>
<p>The other is steam them until cooked. Drain liquid. Use Girard’s Champagne vinigrette. Can be served hot, warm or room temperature. Easy!!!</p>
<p>Roasted: roast in a hot oven (425 or so) the olive oil as described above, then add grated Parmesan at the last minute.</p>
<p>OR:
**ASIAN ASPARAGUS SALAD **</p>
<p>1 1/2 lbs. asparagus</p>
<p>FOR MARINADE:</p>
<p>2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tbsp. dark sesame oil
1 tbsp. white vinegar
1 tbsp. dry sherry
1 tsp. grated ginger
Lightly toasted sesame seeds</p>
<p>Whisk together marinade ingredients and set aside. Wash asparagus and remove tough ends. Ease spears into boiling water to cover. When water begins to boil again, cook for 1-2 minutes longer until tender, but crisp.
Plunge into cold water to stop the cooking and set the color. Drain well; place in shallow bowl, and cover with marinade. Chill at least 30 minutes. (Or serve hot)</p>
<p>Garnish with sesame seeds. Don’t wait longer than 2 hours before serving. </p>
<p>note: also works well if you cut the asparagus into pieces (about 1.5 in.)</p>
<p>Or:
Blanch the asparagus and serve with a soft boiled egg. Dip the asparagus in the yolk.Yum. OK, maybe not for Easter dinner. </p>
<p>( #15: Girards’ champagne vinaigrette solves a lot of problems! Great on a simple potato salad)</p>
<p>deleted repeat post</p>
<p>I like Cook’s Illustrated’s pan-roasted asparagus. (April/May 2007) You melt 1 Tb butter and 1 Tb olive oil in a skillet. Take two pounds of asparagus and point half one way and half the other. Cook for five minutes covered at medium heat then another 5 to 7 minutes uncovered on high. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper and lemon if desired. If spears are thin or if you half the recipe cook three minutes covered.</p>
<p>They have a bunch of variations which basically involve cooking something that you add to the asparagus recipe at the end. One has garlic, cherry tomatoes, basil and fresh Parmesan. Another has red onion, bacon, balsamic vinegar and maple syrup and a third has red peppers, mint, goat cheese and pine nuts. They are all delicious!</p>
<p>This detracts from the “easy” part of the request, but I prefer to peel the stems. Then they cook at the same rate as the tips.</p>
<p>Melt 1 Tb butter and one of olive oil in a large saute pan, when the butter is sizzling, add the asparagus. Saute about five minutes until tender crisp. Put on a serving dish with the pan drippings over the top. Or do just the same way, but when melting the butter add a tablespoon of chopped fresh ginger. Or at the end sprinkle with grated orange peel.</p>
<p>
That’s what I do, except toss in a bowl with the olive oil and S&P to coat. Couldn’t be simpler. Couldn’t taste better. Here’s how:
[How</a> to master roasted vegetables - Eyewitness Cook - Salon.com](<a href=“http://www.salon.com/food/eyewitness_cook/index.html?story=/food/francis_lam/2010/03/12/how_to_master_roasted_vegetables]How”>http://www.salon.com/food/eyewitness_cook/index.html?story=/food/francis_lam/2010/03/12/how_to_master_roasted_vegetables)</p>