Pan Grilled Asparagus

Asparagus is a popular spring vegetable. In Italy, asparagus is boiled, baked, and added to risotto.

Many American restaurants serve tender, crispy grilled asparagus as a side vegetable. If you have a grill, grilling asparagus only takes a few minutes.

If you do not have a grill, to can come close to grilled asparagus by pan-grilling. It takes a little longer, and you do not get distinct grill marks, but it is a healthy way to cook and serve asparagus. You can serve it drizzled with a little lemon juice or olive oil, or both!

But before you can enjoy asparagus, you’ve got to prepare it.

Some farmers markets sell asparagus without the woody ends. Just rinse and cook. Most supermarkets up their profit by selling asparagus with tough woody ends. Depending on the quality of your asparagus, you can lose up to a third during cleaning. But don’t throw out the ends if you love vegetable broths and soups! Freeze the ends until you are ready to make a pot of broth or soup.

HOW TO CLEAN ASPARAGUS

• The simplest way to prepare asparagus is to “snap” each spears in two at its natural breaking point.
• Hold each end in your hands and bend the stalk gently.
• With just a little pressure, the asparagus spear will snap in two.
• Discard the root tough root end, or use them for stocks or soups
• The flower end, is the tender part.

Some people recommend cutting an inch or two from the bottom. That may work for very tender asparagus, but still leave some less than tender eating ahead. Think about it. Have you ever had a restaurant serve tough, chewy asparagus?

With your asparagus prepped and rinsed, you are ready to pan-grill.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch fresh asparagus (about 1 lb., 450 g), prepped and rinsed
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• Lemon wedges (optional)

Method of Preparation