Asparagus with Lemon and Olive Oil

A simple and elegant way to serve either green or white asparagus.  Use a vegetable peeler to peel the tough outer skin away from the white asparagus.

Serves 6

2 lbs. asparagus spears, ends trimmed
1 lemon
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt

Steam asparagus or cook in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp tender.
Drain; transfer to a large serving dish.  Cut lemon in half.  Squeeze juice from one half lemon over.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle with sea salt.
Cut remaining lemon half in slices and arrange over asparagus as garnish.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Comments

[Jamie]

Personally, I highly recommend using extra-virgin olive oil in place of normal olive oil because it seems to enhance the taste of the foods you add it to.
My favorite olive oil comes from http://www.holyfoodimports.com , since it is produced in Israel, so it has a really unique taste.

[Lynda]

You are absolutely right. Extra-virgin olive oil is very low in acidity and appreciated for its good taste, while olive oil is a blend of extra-virgin oil and refined oil and tends to lack flavor. Thanks for pointing out my omission in the recipe.