Published March 1, 2007.
To vary our pan-roasted asparagus recipe, we wanted to add other vegetables to the same skillet, even though the pan was already crowded. The answer was to divide and conquer. We cooked the accent vegetable first, removed it from the pan, and wiped the pan clean. The asparagus could then be cooked on its own in the now-empty pan, plated, and garnished with the other vegetables, giving us a variety of asparagus side dish recipes to enjoy.
This recipe works best with asparagus that is at least 1/2 inch thick near the base. If using thinner spears, reduce the covered cooking time to 3 minutes and the uncovered cooking time to 5 minutes. Do not use pencil-thin asparagus; it cannot withstand the heat and overcooks too easily.
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