Garlicky Asparagus

Asparagus is one of the easiest vegetables to prepare and cook yet provides a lot of presentation value to a meal. They can be done simply or go all out and deep fry them or wrap them in bundles with bacon, or even sliced very thin as part of a salad.The options are only limited to your imagination.

Pro Tip: To keep asparagus fresh in the fridge, store them in a jar or cup filled with 1 inch of water.

The key to making good asparagus is to not overcook them, so they keep a nice crunch and maintain their great green color. This can be tricky if you are using the super thick stalks that need more time to cook through.

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Ingredients:

1 bunch of asparagus

2-4 cloves of garlic

salt and pepper to taste

1 Tbsp olive oil (or any oil you prefer)

Tools I use and recommend for this recipe

Lets get cooking

1. Wash the asparagus under cold water, and preheat your pizza oven or set your kitchen oven dial to broil, ensuring your top rack is on the highest level or roughly 3-6 inches away from the top of the oven.

Pro Tip: if you want very tender asparagus, bend the bottom of the stalk and it should naturally snap off at the point where it was toughest.

1. discard that piece or use it for the green component of your compost

2. save it for a vegetable stock for later

3. shred it finely and use it for some crunch in a salad

2. Place the washed asparagus into a cast iron pan and spread it out as flat as possible, preferably a thin walled version like the one recommended above from Lodge. You can alternatively cook this in a pan that can hold high heat like carbon steel or stainless steel.

3. Chop the garlic into a small dice and place it on top of the asparagus, then drizzle the olive oil evenly across the top of the asparagus. Season with the salt and pepper, then gently toss to evenly coat the asparagus with the oil, garlic, and seasoning.

4. Place the pan in the pizza oven, or on the top rack of your oven, and cook for 3-5 minutes. Using oven mitts, check the asparagus and if you want them more soft, toss them around a bit and let it cook for another 2-3 minutes. The longer you cook them, the mushier they become, so be careful not to go over. They also do not taste great if you cook them too much and plan to have them as leftovers for another day.

Enjoy!