Oven roasted asparagus with Italian fresh herb gremolata is a delicious and classy side dish that you can prepare in your own home kitchen in under 15 minutes! Join Eric from Simply Elegant Home Cooking as he demonstrates this healthy spring vegetable recipe! There are a few simple steps to follow to guarantee a perfectly cooked asparagus. First, be sure to use thick asparagus as the pencil thin variety is too easy to overcook in the oven. Secondly, be sure to use a very hot oven and be sure to preheat your sheet pan as well to get a nice sear on the vegetables. Finally, take this dish to the next level by preparing an Italian fresh herb gremolata using parsley, fresh thyme, lemon zest, and minced garlic!

Ingredients:
-12 ounce thick cut asparagus, woody stems removed.
-1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
-1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely minced
-2 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, finely minced
-1 garlic clove
-zest of 1 lemon
-salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
-Preheat your oven to 500 degree Fahrenheit. Set the oven rack as low as it goes and also preheat your sheet pan in the oven at the same time.
-Prep your asparagus by washing and drying, and removing the bottom 1/3 of the stalk.
-While the oven preheats, finely mince the fresh thyme and Italian parsley along with the garlic glove. Use a microplane to zest a lemon. Combine these ingredients to create the gremolata.
-Once the oven and sheet pan come up to full temperature, remove the pan from the oven. Add the asparagus to the sheet pan (it should sizzle) and add the olive oil along with a generous amount of salt and pepper.
-Roast the asparagus in the oven for 8-10 minutes until it gets a nice sear on one side but do not overcook it! Resist the urge to touch the asparagus while it cooks.
-Remove the sheet pan from the oven, add the gremolata, and use tongs to evenly incorporate the garlic, herbs, and lemon zest with the asparagus. This is also a very important step as the hot sheet pan will gently cook the finely minced garlic.
-Serve and enjoy!