Roasted Asparagus with Pine Nuts

Lightly toasted pine nuts add crunch and flavor to these simple but delicious roasted asparagus spears.

RECIPE:

2 tablespoons pine nuts
1 pound asparagus
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over low to medium-low heat for few minutes until lightly golden. Remove from heat and set aside.

Rinse the asparagus and break off the tough ends. (If you hold the asparagus spear at each end and bend it slightly, it will break at the right spot.) If using thicker spears, trim off the larger buds near the bottom of the stalk as desired.

Line up the asparagus spears in a single layer in a baking dish or pan.

Drizzle the asparagus lightly with the olive oil, turn to coat, and then sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Roast for about 5-12 minutes, until the asparagus are tender when pierced with a fork, but still firm. The roasting time will depend on the thickness of the asparagus spears. For very thin asparagus, start checking them after about 4 minutes.

Transfer the asparagus to serving plate(s) and sprinkle the toasted pine nuts over the asparagus.

-- 4 servings