Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients:

1 lb asparagus

1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper Snap off the woody ends of the asparagus (if you sharply bend the asparagus near the base, it will snap in the right place). Discard the ends.Place the asparagus on the sheet and drizzle with 1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil, just enough to lightly coat the asparagus. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the asparagus, and toss until the spears are lightly coated in oil. Arrange the spears in a single layer on the pan.

Bake just until the base of the asparagus is easily pierced through by a fork. Very thin asparagus will take as little as 9 to 12 minutes, whereas thicker asparagus will need 15 to 20 minutes.