1 Pan-Roasted Asparagus

I really count myself fortunate to be in the ranks of the seemingly few who absolutely adore veggies.  I have always loved them, even as a baby (except for cooked carrots, according to my mother.)  I'm making pan-roasted asparagus today, and this recipe happens to be 100% vegetarian.  I could literally eat the entire 2 pounds all by myself.  I almost did, but figured I'd leave some for my hubby.  In fact, he came to me later and said that they were so good he ate them straight out of the serving dish.  Who are you, and what have you done with my husband?!

Here's what you'll need:

2 lbs asparagus (for my house, anyway, you can always use less!)
2-3 large shallots, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (to taste)
2 tbs butter
drizzle of olive oil
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese

First, wash and trim the asparagus to pretty even lengths.  I trimmed this batch pretty aggressively, since the bottoms seemed woodier than normal, so in actuality, I trimmed off a lot of the 2lb weight.  Set aside in a dish.

Melt the butter and drizzle of olive oil over medium-high heat in a sautee pan.

Meanwhile, mince the garlic and shallots up.

When the pan is hot, add the shallots and garlic, and start to sautee, along with a little salt and pepper.

When they get slightly brown, add some red pepper flakes (I just eyeball it and shake straight from the container.  Risky business!)

Give the shallots a good stir, and place the asparagus on top.  Yes, it looks pretty crowded, but you'll be tossing them in a few minutes.  Hit the tops with some fresh cracked salt and pepper.

Cover and roast over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes.  Then, take some tongs and toss well.  If the shallots look in danger of getting too dark, add a few tablespoons of water.  Cover again and cook until fork-tender and the shallots are caramel-y, another 3-4 minutes.

Grab your serving dish and add half the asparagus, and hit them with a little parm.

Top with the other half of the asparagus, and make sure you get ALL those lovely shallots at the bottom of the pan!

Sprinkle with a little more parm and serve.  Delicious!  Sometimes when I make this I used chopped bacon and bacon fat, which is also extra-delish, but just like this it's savory with a slight kick from the red pepper flakes.