I love this asparagus-olive combo. Blasting the two together in a really hot oven intensifies all of the flavors. If you make this with thin asparagus spears, skip the peeling step and roast for just 6 minutes.
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and peeled
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, julienned
1/2 cup Niçoise olives, pitted and halved
1/4 cup sliced fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish
Lemon wedges
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Step 2
Spread the asparagus in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil and season with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Toss and turn to evenly coat. Sprinkle the garlic, olives, and basil all over. Roast until the asparagus is crisp-tender and the basil wilts, about 8 minutes.
Step 3
Drizzle with a little more oil, garnish with fresh basil, and serve hot with lemon wedges.
Reprinted with permission from Home Cooking with Jean-Georges: My Favorite Simple Recipes by Jean-Georges Vongerichten with Genevieve Ko. Copyright © 2011 by Jean-Georges Vongerichten; photographs copyright © 2011 by John Kernick. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.
Jean-Georges Vongerichten is one of the most influential chefs in the world, having single-handedly redefined haute French cuisine, lightening and refining it by adding select Asian accents. He is the chef-owner of dozens of restaurants in fourteen cities around the world. His flagship restaurant, Jean Georges, at New York's Columbus Circle, is one of six restaurants in the United States to have been awarded three coveted Michelin stars; it received four stars from the New York Times. The winner of multiple James Beard Foundation awards, he lives in New York City and Waccabuc, New York, with his family.
Genevieve Ko is a cookbook author and the senior food editor at Good Housekeeping magazine. She has written for Martha Stewart Living, Gourmet, and Fine Cooking and lives in New York City with her family.
