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Sauteed Lemon Asparagus
Prep Time
5 mins
Prep Notes
When buying asparagus, take a minute to smell the inner part of the 'bouquet'. If it smells earthy (nose cringing) it's rotting inside so choose another.
When storing asparagus, put the root end in a bowl of cold water and place in the fridge. It will last a lot longer!
Cooking Time
5 mins
Yields
4 side servings
Ingredients
1 bunch fresh asparagus
Juice from 1/2 fresh lemon
1Tbsp olive oil
Fresh or dried thyme leaves
Salt to taste
Directions
Cut washed asparagus into 1" pieces (I cut across the entire bunch at one time). Heat oil on med/high in a saute pan. If using dried thyme add it to the oil*. When pan is hot, add asparagus (be sure you've dried off the water as that will change the texture). Shake pan every minute or so to toss around. After 4 mins, add juice from 1/2 lemon. Cook 1 minute more then remove from heat (asparagus will be al dente, if you prefer if cooked more, continue cooking to desired tenderness). Add fresh thyme leaves and salt, if using. To make presentation pretty, you can slice a thin round of lemon from the other half and place over asparagus to serve. A sprig of fresh thyme is also nice.
*dried herbs need to reconstitute so adding them to your oil allows this to happen so flavor is pervasive in the dish