Easy Roasted Asparagus and Carrots made with fresh asparagus, sweet carrots, and simple seasoning in 15-20 minutes! Perfect side dish for weeknight meals!
This recipe has been updated with an improved layout and an extra ingredient, sweet carrots! I turned my roasted asparagus recipe into a roasted asparagus AND carrots recipe for more variety and flavor. 🙌
Nothing says spring like fresh asparagus. And while most people blanch asparagus, I prefer to roast it because... well, its super easy and absolutely delicious!
Then, when you combine asparagus with another veggie, like carrots, you add more color and nutritional value.
As for the seasoning, I prefer to keep things simple when roasting spring veggies. Still, you could always add fresh herbs, lemon zest, or grated Parmesan cheese to this dish for even more flavor. It's up to you!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Easy Recipe This is an easy, healthy side dish that can be served with a variety of main dishes, including Lemon Pepper Chicken, baked pork chops, and Italian Baked Chicken.
- Simple Ingredients Fresh asparagus, carrots, olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Asparagus and Carrots can be found in the grocery store's produce section.
- Meal Prep Roasting is one of the easiest ways to prepare veggies, especially when you are meal prepping or trying to get dinner on the table quickly. Leftover roasted asparagus and carrots can be used in omelets, grain bowls, stir-fry, salads, and soups.
Dietitian Tip
- Serving a familiar vegetable with a less familiar vegetable is a great way to introduce kids (and adults;) to new foods.
- Kids tend to have simpler palates and can get overwhelmed with strong flavors. Keeping the seasoning simple will save time, increase acceptance, and leave room for creativity for kids who like more flavor.
Ingredient Notes
- Asparagus Use fresh asparagus spears, not frozen. Also, use thick asparagus spears if you can. Thick asparagus spears are more tender than thin spears and will have a similar cook time to carrots. Asparagus contains a variety of vitamins and minerals in addition to fiber. Asparagus is also known to be a good source of prebiotics.
- Carrots Use regular, medium sized carrots. Carrots are an excellent source of fiber, carotenoids, anthocyanins, and a variety of other important nutrients.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil Rich in healthy monounsaturated fats. Avocado oil or other neutral flavored oil can be used instead.
How to Make Roasted Asparagus and Carrots
Here’s a quick summary of how to make roasted asparagus and carrots. For the full list of ingredients and complete instructions, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Use a chef's knife and cutting board to remove the carrot tops and woody ends of the asparagus.
- Slice each carrot in half lengthwise.
- Lay asparagus and carrot strips in a single layer on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper.
- Roast in a preheated oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes, or until you can pierce the pieces with a fork.
Helpful Tips
- Asparagus "stalks" and "spears" are the same thing. These words can be used interchangeably.
- Line the sheet pan with parchment paper or foil for easy clean-up.
- Peel some of the woody part of each asparagus stalk with a veggie peeler to soften the asparagus and keep it from getting chewy.
- Adding too much oil or salt can cause the asparagus to be wet and soggy.
- For best results, cut the carrots so that they have a similar size to the asparagus stalks.
- Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the asparagus stalks and carrot pieces. (thin asparagus stalks will cook in less time than larger stalks).
- If using baby carrots instead of regular sized carrots: slice them in half before placing them on the baking sheet. If they are 'petite' baby carrots (tiny baby carrots), you can roast them whole.
- Once cooled, store the leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Questions You May Have
Asparagus can get mushy when it's overcooked or if there is too much moisture.
If asparagus is wet when placed in the oven, the extra water can have a steaming effect, which causes asparagus to soften. To keep this from happening, dry the asparagus after washing it.
Yes. You should always wash fresh asparagus. If you will be storing or roasting it right away, pat it dry with a towel after you wash it.
Adding chopped fresh herbs or fresh lemon zest with a sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese are two easy ways to add more fresh flavors to this easy side dish.
More Easy Side Dishes
- Easy Mashed Red Skinned Potatoes
- 5-Minute Carrot Hummus
- Easy Orzo with Broccoli
- 5-Minute Tajin and Watermelon
Did you make this roasted asparagus and carrots recipe and love it? Please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and a review in the comments section to let me know. A 5-star rating is the best compliment!
And don't forget to follow me @carrots.and.cookies on Instagram for more meal inspiration and nutrition tips!
📖 Recipe
Roasted Asparagus and Carrots
Equipment
- 1 veggie peeler optional
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh asparagus Preferably thicker stalks of asparagus. Washed well.
- 6 carrots Small to medium sized. Washed well and both ends removed.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- 1 pinches of salt or to taste
- 1 pinch of pepper optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit.
- Remove the woody part of each asparagus stalk (the bottom one or one-and-a-half inches) or trim off a small amount of each end then use a vegetable peeler to peal a few strips off of the ends of each asparagus stalk.
- Depending on the size of the carrots, use a chef's knife to half or quarter the carrots lengthwise.
- Lay the asparagus stalks and carrot slices out on a sheet pan in a single layer. They should be close together but not overlapping.
- Drizzle with a light coating of olive oil. Top with a pinch or two of salt and black pepper.
- Use tongs to shift the stalks slightly over the oil or use a small basting brush to spread the oil evenly over most of each stalk.
- Roast in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the stalks and carrot pieces. The veggies are done when they can be pierced with a fork. Check them after 15 minutes. If roasting very thin asparagus stalks and carrot pieces, check on them after 10-12 minutes.
- Serve right away!
Notes
- Do not overdo it with oil or salt. Adding too much oil or salt can cause the asparagus to be wet and mushy.
- Use fresh asparagus, not canned or frozen asparagus.
- Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the asparagus stalks and carrot pieces. Thin asparagus spears may be done in 10-12 minutes.
- For the olive oil, you can estimate ½ - 1 teaspoon of olive oil per ten spears of asparagus or carrot pieces.
- To make cleanup even easier, line the sheet pan with parchment paper before laying the asparagus and carrots in a single layer.
- For best results, cut the carrots so that they have a similar size to the asparagus stalks.
- If using baby carrots instead of regular sized carrots: slice them in half before placing them on the baking sheet. If they are 'petite' baby carrots (tiny baby carrots), you can roast them whole.
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