Broiled Asparagus

Asparagus is not expensive when it is in season from mid April to mid June. I like to grill it on a flat grill pan (not mine in link). But when it's not warm enough, this is an easy way to cook it. This isn't the best way to cook asparagus, but its so simple. An easy meal is to serve this with broiled steak. I believe medium rare steak takes 5 minutes per side, so you can cook both steak and asparagus at the same time (if they fit in your oven), turning the steak when you turn the asparagus. This recipe come from America's Test Kitchen.

BASIC BROILED ASPARAGUS

Serves 4 to 6

Choose asparagus spears no thicker then 5/8 inch in diameter for this recipe.

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs thin asparagus spears, tough ends snapped off

1 T extra virgin olive oil

salt and ground black pepper

1. Adjust the oven rack to the uppermost position ( about 4 inches from the heating element) and heat the broiler. Toss the asparagus with the oil and salt and pepper to taste on a heave rimmed baking sheet. Arrange the spears in a single layer on the baking sheet.

2. Broil the asparagus 4 to 5 minutes, shake the pan to turn the spears, and broil another 4 to 5 minutes until they are tender and lightly browned. Transfer the asparagus to a serving platter and serve hot or warm.