Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Browned Butter

Best Vegetable Side Dish. We love the way the salty-sweet browned butter highlights the asparagus in this dish. --Recipe by David Bonom (September 2001)

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 5 spears)

Ingredients

• 40  asparagus spears, trimmed (about 2 pounds)
• Cooking spray
• 1/4  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/8  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 2  tablespoons  butter
• 2  teaspoons  low-sodium soy sauce
• 1  teaspoon  balsamic vinegar
• Cracked black pepper (optional)
• Grated lemon rind (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.

Arrange asparagus in a single layer on a baking sheet; coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until tender.

Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat; cook 3 minutes or until lightly browned, shaking pan occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. Drizzle over asparagus, tossing well to coat. Garnish with cracked pepper and rind, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

45 (60% from fat)

Fat:

3g (sat 1.8g,mono 0.9g,poly 0.2g)

Protein:

1.9g

Carbohydrate:

3.9g

Fiber:

1.7g

Cholesterol:

8mg

Iron:

0.7mg

Sodium:

134mg

Calcium:

18mg