Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Glaze

Step 1

First, preheat your oven to 425°F/220°C.

Step 2

Then, place the asparagus on a parchment-lined baking sheet in one layer so that none of the asparagus is overlapping.

Step 3

Next, lightly drizzle or spray with the olive oil and roll the asparagus around so that each spear is evenly coated.  Then, evenly sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, give or take.  The asparagus is now ready to go into the oven.

Step 4

The asparagus is usually done after 7 minutes for thin spears, 9 minutes for medium or large-sized spears. You want the asparagus to be tender yet ever-so-slightly crunchy when it's done.  One clue to look for is that the asparagus will start to sweat, but at the same time, still have a nice vibrant, bright green color.  Once it starts to venture into the "olive green" category, it's on it's way to being overcooked, which means stringy asparagus that's hard to bite through.  (No bueno.)

Step 5

While the asparagus is roasting, bring the balsamic vinegar to a boil over high heat in a sauce pan.  Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and continue to simmer until the balsamic reduces down to 2 to 3 tablespoons of glaze. The whole process can take anywhere from 15 - 25 minutes.

Step 6

Once the asparagus is done roasting, remove it immediately from the baking sheet so that it doesn't continue to cook from the heat of the pan. Feel free to pile it onto your serving vessel at this time.

Step 7

Then, drizzle with the sweet and tangy balsamic glaze.

Step 8

Lastly, sprinkle with 1 - 2 teaspoons of bread crumbs to add a variety in texture and hint of that flavor we all know and love - bread!  Serve immediately.