Roasted Sesame Asparagus

This flavorful and delicious roasted sesame asparagus recipe is a quick, easy weeknight side dish.

I love that roasting vegetables takes little effort while I make the rest of our meal, and the depth of flavor & sweetness. I have found that adding flavorful toasted sesame oil instead of olive oil gives a simple but tasty nutty flavor that pairs well with a lot of my Asian main dishes. I serve this roasted sesame asparagus sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and spicy chili crisp on the side. This easy Asian asparagus side dish pairs nicely with flank steak, garlic rice, and a cucumber salad.

Roasted Sesame Asparagus

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. asparagus spears
• 2-3 tsp toasted sesame oil, to taste
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• Garlic powder, to taste **Or 1 clove of garlic, minced (add 1-2 minutes before asparagus is finished roasting so the garlic doesn’t burn)
• Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

How to Make Roasted Sesame Asparagus:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Snap off the woody ends of the asparagus spears, then place them on a baking sheet.

Drizzle the spears with the toasted sesame oil, then season with sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper flakes. Toss to coat the asparagus evenly.  Side Note: If you want to use fresh minced garlic instead of garlic powder, toss it with the roasting asparagus spears 1-2 minutes before they are finished roasting to prevent the garlic from burning. 

Roast for 5-7 minutes, or until crisp-tender, or a few minutes longer for really tender.

Remove from the oven.

Top with toasted sesame seeds, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and spicy chili crisp on the side, if desired. Enjoy.