Crunchy Baked Asparagus Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is my asparagus not crunchy? ›

Excess moisture can lead to steaming instead of crisping. Use a kitchen towel to pat the asparagus spears dry before cooking. Another essential factor is the cooking method. Roasting or grilling the asparagus at a higher temperature helps to achieve a crispy texture.

Once you've cooked your asparagus, wrap it in foil and store it in the fridge for up to two days. You can also keep it in a tightly sealed food storage container.

Asparagus is great quickly stir-fried or sautéed over high heat. You could sauté spears in butter or olive oil with delicious results, but throwing some chopped herbs or sliced chiles into the pan adds wonderful flavor. Both of these methods produce juicy asparagus that retains its crunch.

Does asparagus get softer the longer you cook it? Yes, it does. But you don't want to cook it too long or it will be soggy. That's fine when using in a soup, but not so much as a roasted side.

If your roasted asparagus is soggy, you may have overcooked it. In a hot oven at 425 degrees, asparagus only needs to roast for about 10 minutes—any longer and it can become limp and soggy. You should also be sure to pat the asparagus dry and spread them out into a single layer before roasting.

Pile asparagus onto a baking sheet. Combine lemon, shallot, extra-virgin olive oil and tarragon. Pour the dressing over the asparagus and turn to coat spears in fat. Season the asparagus with salt and pepper and roast 15 to 17 minutes at 375 degrees F.

I soak all asparagus first in cold water. I trim the ends and then rinse the stalks and let them sit in cold water for five minutes. It hydrates the asparagus, and they cook more quickly, for they are already wet with some moisture within them.

Snap any woody tips off the asparagus where they naturally break apart. Put on a roasting tray, drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 12 mins until tender.

While both types tasted equally sweet, nutty, and grassy, we expected the delicate-looking thin spears to be more tender. To our surprise, the thicker spears actually had the better texture (if only by a hair).

Signs Your Asparagus Has Gone Bad

By the time the tips turn black, you'll notice they're completely mushy and probably smell a little funky, too. If your asparagus is slimy or sticky, feels mushy and soft, smells foul or has visible signs of mold, it's time to toss it.

Why is my asparagus tough after cooking? ›

Asparagus contains an enzyme that creates a woody compound called "lignin," at the end of each spear. Lignin is not softened by heat, so it remains fibrous and tough after cooking. To eliminate lignin, snap (don't cut) the end of each spear just before cooking.

Lack of fertiliser can be a cause, feed asparagus with a nitrogen rich fertiliser and apply compost each season after the fern frond is cut down. Not enough sun on the asparagus patch can cause spindly spears.