Food Ingredients Vegetables Asparagus Roasted Asparagus with Savory Butter Sauce 3.0 (1) 1 Review Use this sauce to bring umami flavor to any roasted vegetable. By Ann Taylor Pittman Ann Taylor Pittman For 20 years, Ann Taylor Pittman built a career of creating healthy recipes at Cooking Light magazine, where she most recently served as Executive Editor. She is the recipient of two James Beard Foundation Awards: a feature writing award for "Mississippi Chinese Lady Goes Home to Korea" and a cookbook award for The New Way to Cook Light. She is now a freelancer specializing in recipe development, writing, and video. Ann lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with her husband, their 13-year-old twin boys, one big dog, and one little dog. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines and Scott Mowbray Scott Mowbray Scott Mowbray is an editor and writer, and the former editor of Cooking Light and Eating Well. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on January 4, 2024 Tested by Nicole Hopper Tested by Nicole Hopper Nicole Hopper is a recipe tester and developer based in Birmingham, Alabama. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Active Time: 10 mins Total Time: 25 mins Yield: 4 to 6 servings Adding a little bit of a highly flavorful ingredient can take a simple dish from fine to wow without any fuss; in this case, the star is oyster sauce. Roasted asparagus is bathed in a two-ingredient sauce that elevates the easy vegetable side to repeat-appearance status. Try the sauce for asparagus on other green veggies, too — green beans, broccoli, and bok choy, or even to dress corn on the cob. This recipe comes from The Global Pantry Cookbook by Ann Taylor Pittman and Scott Mowbray. Frequently asked questions What is oyster sauce? Oyster sauce is a glossy, brown, savory sauce. As the name suggests, it is made of oysters, which are cooked in water to make a broth that’s strained, cooked down, and seasoned with salt and sugar; the oyster juices caramelize and reduce to a thick syrup. The best oyster sauces will list oysters first and will add intense umami and a touch of sweetness to your cooking. To find a truly good oyster sauce, try a large Asian food market or shop online. Two quality brands are Lee Kum Kee Premium Oyster Sauce and Megachef, from Thailand (available at themalamarket.com). How else can I use oyster sauce? Try adding this sauce for asparagus to meaty gravies, sauces, and glazes, and of course to stir-fry sauces and noodles. When meats are headed for the slow cooker, add a glug. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Cooked until just tender-crisp, the asparagus retains its fresh flavor and the sauce isn't too dominant to overshadow the actual flavor of the asparagus. The sauce is nutty and savory and perfectly coats the spears so that they're nice and glossy but not drowning in sauce. This is a great side for any meal; one tester said it would be an especially nice match for an herbed roast chicken and some crispy potatoes. If you’d like to make this recipe vegetarian, use a vegetarian oyster (mushroom) sauce instead. Use a light-colored skillet, such as stainless steel, when browning the butter so you can keep a watchful eye on the milk solids as they gently toast. Ingredients 2 pounds medium-thick asparagus spears, trimmed 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee or Megachef Premium) Directions Preheat oven to 425°F. Place asparagus on a large rimmed baking sheet; drizzle evenly with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast in preheated oven until asparagus are crisp-tender, about 12 minutes. While asparagus roasts, melt butter in a small skillet over medium. Cook, whisking often (this cuts down on sputtering), until deeply fragrant with a toasty aroma and darkened to the color of light brown sugar, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour butter into a small bowl, and let cool slightly, about 2 minutes. Whisk in oyster sauce. Arrange asparagus on a platter, and drizzle evenly with oyster-butter sauce. Serve hot. Originally appeared in Food & Wine magazine, December 2023 / January 2024 Rate It Print