Pan-Roasted Asparagus

By
Molly Watson
Molly Watson
An award-winning food writer and cookbook author, Molly Watson has created more than 1,000 recipes focused on local, seasonal ingredients.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 09/21/22
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 15 mins
Servings: 4 servings

Get crispy and delicious browned bits on top of your asparagus spears without using your oven or grill. Pan-roasted asparagus is a tasty and quick recipe, easy to put together. It is perfect as a side dish to any meal, or as an appetizer when served with some Parmesan shaves, or perhaps some prosciutto slices and a soft-boiled egg on top. You need just 15 minutes and a hot pan. The longest part of the process is to wash and trim the spears, and before you know it, you'll be serving this wonderfully vibrant dish with minimal effort.

Asparagus is a great vegetable to have at hand as it cooks quickly and accompanies any protein nicely, from chicken to seafood. To get the most out of your asparagus and to avoid cooking in batches, simply keep an eye on not overcrowding the pan and using a skillet large enough so that all spears are in contact with the hot bottom. Very low in calories, asparagus is packed with nutrition, with plenty of fiber, vitamin C, and potassium. One cup of asparagus has barely 20 calories, almost 3 grams of fiber, and 7 milligrams of vitamin C, close to 10 percent of your recommended daily intake.

Enhance the nicely browned yet grassy green asparagus with a sprinkle of large-grained salt or fleur de sel.

Pan-roasted asparagus

​The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch asparagus

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil, grapeseed oil, or other cooking oil

  • Fine sea salt, to taste

  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice, or lemon zest, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for pan-roasted asparagus recipe gathered

    ​The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  2. Trim the asparagus by snapping off the woody ends of the spears. Alternatively, trim the woody ends, and peel the bottom part of each spear.

    Asparagus ends trimmed

    ​The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  3. Heat a large frying pan with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. Once it's hot, add the oil. Swirl the oil in the pan to coat it.

    Oil added to hot frying pan

    ​The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  4. Add the trimmed asparagus to the pan, in batches if necessary to avoid crowding. It should sizzle as it hits the hot surface. Cover it and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the asparagus is browned and tender, or 5 to 10 minutes.

    Asparagus added to the pan

    ​The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  5. Sprinkle with salt and the optional lemon juice or zest. Serve hot or warm.

    Asparagus Sprinkled with salt

    ​The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  6. Enjoy.

 

How to Trim Asparagus

To snap asparagus, hold a spear at either end, then bend the spear until it breaks; it will snap off at the point where it gets woody. If you choose to peel asparagus, trim off any dried ends and use a vegetable peeler to peel the bottom half of each spear. Snapping is faster, but peeling yields more edible asparagus and less waste.

How to Spruce Up Your Pan-Roasted Asparagus

Want to personalize this super-simple recipe? Here are some ideas:

  • Dollop some thick whole milk Greek yogurt on top of the cooked asparagus, then drizzle with some extra-virgin olive oil. Top with freshly ground black pepper and/or a sprinkle of Aleppo pepper flakes.
  • Serve the asparagus with chopped rehydrated sun-dried tomato and an extra drizzle of olive oil.
  • Grate on some pecorino or other hard sheep's milk cheese, then sprinkle everything with a bit of finely grated lemon zest.
  • Add some crunch by toasting pine nuts, or any nut of your preference, and topping the spears with it.
  • Serve with homemade aioli, tartar sauce, or pesto.
  • Serve with ponzu sauce for dipping, or drizzle with tamari or soy sauce, omitting the salt.
  • Topping the asparagus with chopped dill or a mix of parsley, dill, and mint is nice.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
21 Calories
2g Fat
0g Carbs
0g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 21
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 3%
Saturated Fat 0g 2%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 146mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 0g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 1mg 0%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 8mg 0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
Article Sources
The Spruce Eats uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Asparagus, Raw. FoodData Central. United States Department of Agriculture.