Roasted Asparagus with Mushrooms

I love it when I find recipes that made with a few high-quality ingredients featured in their most authentic form.  It falls into a category I like to call “rustic elegance”, and it just so happens that many Mediterranean dishes make the cut.

This simple and elegant side dish of roasted asparagus and mushrooms made my short list of recipes to feature from The Mediterranean Kitchen, by Donna Klein.  I plan on enjoying it via the toaster oven this summer, so I don’t have to heat up my house with a hot oven.

What you need:

1 ¼ pounds asparagus with the tough stem ends removed, ½ pound medium button mushrooms (stemmed and quartered), 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, freshly ground sea salt and black pepper to taste, 2-3 tbsp of balsamic or sherry vinegar.

What you do:

Preheat your oven to 425° F. In a baking dish, toss the asparagus and mushrooms with olive oil, sea salt and black pepper and spread into the pan in a single layer. Roast 15 minutes, or until the veggies are tender and brown, turning once or twice. Transfer the vegetables to a serving plate and drizzle with the balsamic or sherry.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

My thoughts:

This dish would pair well with a roast chicken or sun-dried tomato polenta.  Great for year-round entertaining on the fly.

Photo Credit: Muffet