Sautéed Asparagus
Sautéed asparagus is a simple vegetable side dish that's ready in minutes and uses minimal olive oil. It’s perfectly tender, flavorful, and completes almost any entree. Great for snacking too!
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 58kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ pound Fresh Asparagus trimmed, rinsed, and patted dry
- 2 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil or more as desired
- pinch Salt and Black Pepper
- 1 Lemon optional
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Do the water drop test by sprinkling a few drops of water into the pan. If they bead and move around, the skillet is ready.
- Add the OLIVE OIL and heat until shimmering.
- Add ASPARAGUS to the hot skillet in a single layer and shake or use tongs to move it around in the pan until it's coated in oil.
- Continue cooking, turning occasionally, until bright green and tender-crisp. Use these cook times as a guide:Thin spears: 3–5 minutesMedium spears: 5–7 minutesThick spears: 7–9 minutes
- Season with SALT and BLACK PEPPER, the zest of a LEMON, then serve warm with a lemon wedge, drizzling any remaining oil from the pan over the plate.
- To store, cool completely, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Video
Notes
Any skillet works – You can use stainless steel, cast iron, or nonstick for this recipe as long as the pan is hot and the asparagus stays in a single layer.
Minimize hot oil splattering – After rinsing the asparagus, towel-dry or air-dry it completely to remove excess surface moisture before sautéing.
How to trim asparagus – Cut off the bottom 1–2 inches where the stalks are tough, or snap one spear and use it as a guide.
Whole or cut asparagus – You can leave the asparagus spears whole or cut them into bite-sized pieces before sautéing. This is mostly a matter of personal preference, but smaller pieces may cook a little faster.
Butter option – Stir in a small pat of butter at the end for extra richness and flavor.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.25lb | Calories: 58kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 229mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 857IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 2mg