Sauteed Asparagus Recipe

Sautéed asparagus is one of my favorite sides to order in a restaurant alongside my steak or chicken entrée. It’s simple, delicious, and healthy. However, I struggled to find a recipe that was enjoyable at home. Many attempts resulted in bland, mushy asparagus that just didn’t come close to my restaurant counterparts. We set out on a mission to find a recipe that had the right amount of zing and didn’t end up mushy. The splash of white wine vinegar and addition of crushed red pepper flakes to this recipe do just that! It’s super quick; an easy weeknight side dish but also fancy enough to serve as a side for company dinners.

A Few Tips When Cooking Asparagus

• When picking your asparagus; springtime is always the best! That is when it’s the freshest. However, regardless of the time of year, you want to try to get the bunch with the medium sized stalks. The thicker the stalks are on the asparagus, the harder they will be; meaning harder to chew and leaving a woody taste. Really thin stalks overcook really quickly resulting in that mushy texture nobody likes.
• Regardless of the bunch that you buy, the bottom of the asparagus is tough and woody. You will need to trim off those ends. The best way to know how to trim them, is to pick up one piece of the asparagus (holding from the bottom) and give it a quick snap. It will bend or even snap in a particular spot. This is where you trim the asparagus. You can “snap” each asparagus if you like or for quicker results; once you’ve tested one; trim the rest of the bunch at the same level.

Recipe Overview

Serves 4

Equipment Needed

• Large skillet
• Tongs or firm spatula
• Stovetop or Side burner (on your grill)

Ingredients

• 2 pounds asparagus (roughly 1 “bunch”)
• 3 gloves of garlic, chopped (can substitute with minced garlic when in a rush)
• 2 Tbsp Olive oil
• 1/4 cup White wine vinegar
• Salt to taste
• 1 Tsp Crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

• Wash and trim the asparagus. Trim the woody ends off the asparagus as discussed above.

• Place the oil and chopped garlic in the skillet and heat on medium/high heat. Saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring consistently until the garlic is golden.

• Add the trimmed asparagus, continuing stirring while it cooks. Cook for about 5 min.

• Add white wine vinegar, salt, and red pepper flakes.

• Cook until tender (about another 5 min.). A good taste to see if asparagus is done, is to pick up one stalk. It should bend just slightly. If overcooked; it will be floppy and mushy. If undercooked; it will not bend at all. You want to be right in between the two. When cooked perfectly, the asparagus will also remain bright green.
• Serve immediately.