Roasted Asparagus with Lemon Shallot Vinaigrette (The Best Dressing for Asparagus)
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Roasted asparagus is already easy — this version just makes it interesting. A lemon shallot vinaigrette, sharp, citrusy, a little savory from the shallot, gets drizzled over the spears right out of the oven. Ready in 20 minutes, and the dressing is good enough to put on everything else too.
Roasting asparagus doesn’t require much — high heat, a hot pan, and about 10 minutes is all it takes to get tender spears with those irresistible caramelized tips. The difference here is that I use a vinaigrette twice: Once before the pan goes in the oven, and again as a finishing drizzle with fresh parsley and lemon zest. I love it alongside these crisp-skinned baked chicken thighs for an easy dinner.
This recipe is inspired by Patricia Wells, whose cookbook Vegetable Harvest is essentially a love letter to fresh produce. I love that her approach to cooking is refreshingly restrained — she has a deft hand with vegetables, letting their natural flavors do the work rather than overwhelming them.
Flavor tip: The fresh, grassy taste of asparagus is a perfect match with anything citrusy and acidic. While undressed asparagus tastes wonderful, the spears soak up this lemony shallot dressing like a champ.
A few notes on roasting asparagus
Trim the woody ends, rinse, and pat the spears dry. Spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet (no crowding or they’ll steam instead of caramelize), drizzle some of the vinaigrette and a splash of water to prevent scorching, and roast at 450°F for 10–12 minutes. Pull them out when the tips are just starting to char and the stalks still have a little resistance — they’ll keep cooking off the heat.
Roasted Asparagus with Lemon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Lemon Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) finely chopped shallot
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) red wine vinegar
- Freshly grated zest from one lemon
- 1 tablespoon (25 ml) fresh lemon juice
- ½ – ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
Roasted asparagus
- 1 pound (450 g) asparagus
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- Flaky sea salt, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 (225C) degrees.
- Make the dressing: Whisk together shallot, vinegar, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, lemon juice, ½ teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste in a small bowl. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is emulsified. Taste and season with additional salt, if needed.
- Trim off the tough ends from the asparagus and place on a small rimmed baking sheet.
- Pour 2 tablespoon of the vinaigrette over the asparagus and season to taste with black pepper. Drizzle 1 tablespoon water over the top.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast 10-12 minutes, until the asparagus is beginning to brown at the tips.
- Combine the parsley and remaining lemon zest in a small bowl.
- Transfer asparagus to a serving plate. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette and sprinkle with the parsley mixture. Finish the dish with a pinch of flaky sea salt, if you like.
Notes
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
Great way to make asparagus as a side dish! I used to always grill on the bbq with olive oil and balsamic vinegar but this is much better, especially if you already have the oven on for something else.
This looks so good!
I make almost this exact recipe but with green beans instead of asparagus. Now, I’ll be making it with asparagus next!